GHANA’S Diaspora, My Vote in Ghana’s 2016 Elections Was Yours – Osei Mensah
Ghanaians in the diaspora still look forward to the day we shall be given the right to vote for leaders of our country and also have a representation in our national assembly(Parliament).
Across the planet, Diasporans have formed branches of Ghana’s major political parties; thus the NDC and NPP. In spite of our concern for politics in Ghana, we haven’t been able to vote, even many years after the Representation of the People (Amendment) Law (ROPAL) has been passed to pave way for us to do so.
I registered in Ghana to vote, I travelled back there for the electoral commission’s verification exercise. I went again to cast my vote on the 7th December 2016. When I was casting my vote I thought of all my compatriots living abroad (especially Ghanaians in France) who could not vote; Our Churches, our Associations, Our Traditional leaders, our Youth, our little children and ultimately our love for Ghana. I then whispered, “this is yours”. I’m dedicating my vote to all of you.
My only comfort was that, I was very touched when I saw that as diasporan myself my donated school was being used as a polling station to elect a member of parliament and the President of Ghana.
One thing is factual to you; this was not just another election, it was another moment of civil right denial.
Like Martin Luther King, I had a dream. Mine was that; one day, considering our voting rights, valleys shall be exalted, hills and mountains shall be made low, rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be straightened so that, together with our brothers and sisters back home we shall vote.
This is our hope.This done,we will be able to transform the discords of our nation and its diaspora into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
Ghana is a great nation so this must come true.
Osei Mensah Michael
Ghanaian Community in France Council (GHACIF)
Federation of Ghanaian Diaspora in Europe(FEGHADE)
Organisation of Ghanaians Abroad (OGHA)
