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The 2012 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Saturday recommitted himself to his 2008 campaign promise that if voted into office he would deepen Ghana�s democracy. He said he would do so by empowering the public sector as independent entities, serving the wider public interest in an efficient and professional manner. A statement from the party said Nana Akufo-Addo, who has spent the last 35 years as a principled advocate for democracy in Ghana, told a packed evening town hall audience of Ghanaians in Germany that he knew the value in protecting and deepening democracy. He promised: �I would not do anything to put the democracy that we have fought for in jeopardy. Indeed, I am committed to making our democracy work better for us in our fight to create a society of opportunities, by bringing human dignity, security and prosperity to every household in Ghana.� The statement said Nana Akufo-Addo, acknowledging the presence of members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the audience, thanked them and urged all political activists to focus on a �competition of ideas� for the common national goal for development. �Not all of us in this room are bound to agree. Indeed, that would not be ideal. Germany is benefiting from a vibrant competition of political ideas and an efficient public service that serves the people.� Ghana, he said, should not be different. �What is important is that we put Ghana first and we allow the institutions of state to work for everyone.� Earlier in the day, in giving his keynote speech at the 3rd International Conference of the NPP, Nana Addo warned �that democracy cannot endure if the leaders and the people are not committed to it; if they do not understand it, or if they are not sincere to its principles and values.� He urged Ghanaians to treat democracy like a planted tree that required nurturing. US President Barack Obama�s call that Africa needs strong institutions and not strong men has become a major mantra in Africa. But, without referring directly to what the U.S leader said in Accra two years ago, the NPP flagbearer stressed, �Democracies do best when there are strong and vibrant institutions,� and went on to remind Ghanaians about similar statements that he made in the past.