WHEN WE cautioned the Ghanaian political class not to descend to the low and abysmal level of ethnic politics, we had hoped that the admonition would be accepted for what it is worth: the peace and stability of mother Ghana.

Hardly had the ink dried on our editorial of March 25, 2004 than it was reported that Mr. E. T. Mensah, MP for Ningo/Prampram had gone to Teshie and berated Gas for being stupid enough to vote for the NPP.

His vapid denials were reduced to smithereens when a tape recording of his incriminating speech was played to the hearing of all who cared to listen.

We at The Chronicle are once again constrained to warn our politicians to stay away from ethnic politics. Pushing the ethnic card is one of the easiest ways to inflame passions and arouse false emotional responses that do not auger well for anybody. It remains the most facile way of trying to gain political power. Easy as it might be, it's also one of the most dangerous.

The danger lies in PERCEIVED wrongs and advantages, which will start beclouding the vision of those who either by their own inaction or ineptitude are not getting what they desire. Once ethnicity is perceived as the magic wand others are using to gain political favours, the whole atmosphere becomes poisoned by that fallacy.

No matter what reality demonstrates, the person who sees everything through ethnic-tinted lenses will never believe the truth.

It is for this reason that every politician worth his salt and desirous of seeing his country progress does not play ethnic politics.

Others who see it as a simple shortcut to political power have lived to regret their foolishness.

Up to now, for example, people are still paying the price for the horrors that were unleashed in Rwanda when unscrupulous politicians used ethnic politics to settle scores.

People who had lived for generations side by side in complete harmony were suddenly made to look on each other with deep-felt suspicion. Men and women who had risen above petty tribalism to marry and have children were overnight made to regard their offspring as ethnic monsters that should not be allowed to live!

Closer home, we have the sad story of Sierra Leone and Liberia, where because of politics, tribes were pitted against tribes when in reality, their leaders were more interested in the blood money that diamonds, gold and timber brought them.

Who would have ever thought that the Ivory Coast, the bastion of stability in West Africa would today descend into the darkness and chaos of petty ethnic politics?

Who indeed, would have predicted a decade ago that beautiful Abidjan would one day become the scene of horrendous crimes against humanity - amid the beauty and splendour of its high-rise hotels, beautiful tree-lined avenues and truly magnificent private houses?

And yet today, many have fled that beautiful city.

And the only reason they fled was that a few unscrupulous politicians are playing the ethnic card for their own parochial interests.

The Chronicle believes in the adage that when one's neighbour's house is burning, it is prudent to have buckets of water ready, just in case one's own house also catches fire.

This is why we are entreating all participants in this political game to play it fair in this year's elections. Our politicians and their hangers-on must be very careful NEVER to use ethnicity to advance their cause. It's too dangerous and unpredictable a game to toy with. Its repercussions can consume the peace and tranquility of a whole nation.

Ghana is too busy trying to prosper to fight over petty ethnicity.

Let our politicians beware!