Dormaa Municipal Inter-party Dialogue Committee inaugurated

The Dormaa Municipal Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has inaugurated 25-member Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) to help manage political tensions before, during and after the December 7 polls.

The committee will avert, respond to and control any possible election violence, mediate and settle election-related disputes, misunderstanding and disagreements.

Mr Seth Broni Tagborloh, the Dormaa Municipal Director of NCCE, said aside from the dialogue function, the IPDC would monitor and report cases of breach of rules and regulations relating to the conduct of the Election 2020.

Some of the key violations to be monitored include distribution of money and other gifts to the electorate, declaration of election results by political parties, defacing of posters as well as biased media reports.

The rest include the use of provocative and abusive languages by political party followers, the rigging of elections, and abuse of incumbency.

Mr Tagborloh indicated the “IPDC shall ensure that the political parties behave in a manner that is expected of them as well as educate the electorate and supporters of political parties.”

"Also at the district and constituency levels, the Committees shall submit their reports signed by all the members to the Regional Committee for onward transmission to the national level," he added.

Chief Superintendent Boakye Ansah, the Dormaa Municipal Police Commander, called on political parties to educate their followers on the need to facilitate a peaceful election.

On the issue of mobilising political activists to monitor polling centres on election day, Mr Francis Owiredu, the Dormaa Municipal Electoral Officer, warned that "it's only the staff of the EC who are permitted to do so".

"Independent bodies are allowed to do so after they have written or applied to the EC and approval is given. Even with that, they are only expected to observe and report and not to instruct anybody or officials there," Mr Owiredu added.