Palestinians expect US president-elect, Barack Obama, to play a more efficient role in enhancing peace and stability in the world in general and in Palestine in particular, says Saadi Altumaizi, Palestine’s Ambassador to Ghana.

“We would fully co-operate with the incoming American Administration to work for peace and implement all signed agreements and accords between the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Israel,” he said.

Sharing his views and expectations about the Barack Obama presidency in an exclusive interview with the Times, in Accra, Ambassador Altumaizi said: “We are looking forward to see a comprehensive peaceful settlement for the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict.”

Those settlements or solutions, he pointed out should be based on respecting international law, the U.N, and Security Council resolutions.

Obviously elated by the election of Mr Obama, the envoy said the people of Palestine would continue to create all the possible conditions for a peaceful settlement in the area.

“The Middle East had always been a big headache for all American presidents. The coming years of president-elect, Barack Obama, might create hope for peace and stability in the Middle East.

On the fact that Obama is the first black to be elected president of the USA, Mr Altumaizi said it was a new phenomenon which proved that the principles of human rights laid down by the forefathers of the Americans, were still respected by the Americans.

“We the Palestinians always appreciate American democracy and we would like to congratulate president-elect Barack Obama and wish him success in his very, very tough times ahead.”

He explained the “tough times” as the difficult economic and financial crises facing he global community.

He said in the immediate eight years of the Republican Administration, the world witnessed a lot of changes and policies that were not appreciated by Americans and peoples around the world.

Meanwhile, Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance, has expressed hope that Obama would focus on Africa more than his predecessors.

“It is a historic development for an African-American to be elected and we hope through his support, Africa will be able to reposition itself on the global stage, he said.

“In racial terms, he has done the black race very proud because of their struggle for equality and civil liberty which was earlier championed by Martin Luther King.”

Dr Akwetey urged Ghanaian politicians to emulate the US presidential race, saying, “they both (Obama and McCain) fought hard but at the end of it all, the loser accepted the outcome, and congratulated the victor.”

Also commenting on Senator Barack Obama’s election, Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso of the Legon Centre for International Affairs urged Ghanaian politicians to learn the demeanour of talking on issues and inspiring people to accept a certain vision.

“He (Barack Obama) was able to make the media sell his message,” he said, adding, “he has the talent of exuding in people something he has for them.”

Dr Antwi-Danso urged the Ghanaian media to highlight messages of the presidential aspirants and ignore their vituperative language.

He also stressed the need for Ghanaians and politicians, in particular, to have confidence in the electoral system, saying, the Americans had belief in their system and as such there was no need to doubt the outcome of the election.


Source: Ghanaian Times