Churches call for Transitional Bill

Accra, May 11, GNA - Churches on Monday called for a Transitional Bill and a review and further study of the Chinery-Hesse and Greenstreet reports on end of service benefits for the executive, legislature and various senior public office holders. They said there was the need for "a proper legal documentation" of what should be in the Transition Law. This is contained in a statement released in Accra after a joint meeting at the weekend attended by the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, the Christian Council of Ghana and the Ghana Pentecostal Council.

The position of the churches comes against the background of serious problems during the transition from one government to another of a different political party that have led to accusation counter accusations that polarised the country. The statement said the date, time and modalities for political transition should be reviewed in the best interest of peace and development of Ghana. It said the meeting suggested that "a day and not a date for elections should be considered. The most suitable day perhaps could be a Thursday or a Tuesday."

The churches suggested that elections could be held a few months before the transition date to allow for a smooth handing over from one government to the other. The churches said they "wholeheartedly support the President's proposal for a National Thanksgiving Service to be organized annually." They proposed that there should be dialogue with Government to decide on the most appropriate date for such an event, adding "we are of the view that for such an event to assume a national character, a week of prayer be organized on a Sunday before March 6 (Independence Day) and a thanksgiving service the Sunday after March 6." They said these prayer and church services should be organized at both the national and regional levels. The churches also resolved to continue to strengthen their partnership with government in education delivery.

"To this end, the Conference of Managers and Educational Units (COMEU) is currently drafting a proposal based on the new Education Act which will be circulated among Heads of Churches to strengthen greater supervision of churches over schools." On public funding of political parties, the churches said they were of the view that it was too early for Ghana to fund political parties. However, they said, they had a moral responsibility to ensure that there was transparency and accountability in the funding of political parties. The churches also commended Ghanaians for their comportment before, during and after the last general elections, and urged them to maintain this peace, remain calm and allow the government to administer the affairs of the nation.