Ensure credible polls - Peace Ambassador tells EC

National Peace Ambassador, Angela Mensah, has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana to devise drastic measures of ensuring credible and transparent presidential and parliamentary elections which result will be accepted by all political parties.

“With barely six months for Ghanaian to go for the 7th consecutive polls organised by the EC and the stakes clearly very high for all the political parties to triumph, it is obvious that many may look up to the Electoral Commission to exhibit a high level of impartiality before, during and after the elections,” she stressed.

Speaking at a press conference organised by her outfit in collaboration with Give Ghana Peace, a non-governmental organisation, the 12- year-old Peace Ambassador noted that “peace is the result of fairness, transparency and justice.”

In this regard, the young girl stressed the need for the EC to safeguard the credibility of the November 7, 2016, polls.

She also urged to be mindful of some of its actions, adding that such actions should take into consideration the larger populace.

“If you look at the last barometer report, the confidence that the people had in the EC have dropped from 75 to 47 per cent. It’s not good for a country to lose confidence in its election body. That is very dangerous for us.”

On the recent limited biometric voter’s registration, Angela asked the EC to heed calls by concerned groups such as the National Peace Council, Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and CODEO to re-open the registration to allow for the numerous Ghanaians, especially students, to exercise their franchise.

There were emerging reports that the University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) was considering suing the EC for disenfranchising them – a situation that could disrupt the electoral calendar and also heighten the political temperature, considering how parties are poised to clinch the victory.

“The EC should not give the impression that it had before the exercise hatched plans to disenfranchise tertiary students as some people are speculating.

“…Mrs. Charllote Osei as a new Commissioner has a huge task to ensure that a clean and credible election is conducted during her tenure, “she advised.

She also cautioned politicians to desist from the politics of insults, lies, ethnocentric comments and the formation of electoral thugs that could mar the beauty of the nation’s democracy.

She suggested that provocative comments that have the potential to trigger chaos should rather be channelled into a much productive issue based politics that could address the nation’s economic, health, education and the numerous social challenges.

She appealed to the EC which serves as referee for the elections to provide a level playing field for all the contesting political parties

She also urged the media and the security agencies to carry out their duties professionally without any interference from politicians or any other group.