Let's have violence free elections - Joyce Aryee

Tema, April 29, GNA - Ms Joyce Aryee, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines has called on Ghanaians to continue to behave responsibly to enable the country maintain her cherished recognition on the international level.

She therefore called on everybody, particularly political leaders to respect each other's views and conduct their activities in an atmosphere of peace and harmony devoid of derogatory utterances.

Ms Aryee was the special guest at the launch of the fourth Constitution Week of the Greater Accra Regional National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) held on Wednesday at Tema.

The week was being observed under the theme: "National integration through tolerance", with a regional sub-theme: "the role of all stakeholders in ensuring peaceful, free and fair elections".

Ms Aryee said Ghana has chosen the path of democracy and this could only thrive when there is tolerance of one another's views because every human being, irrespective of his status or ethnicity is important to building of the democracy.

This calls for circumspection and responsible in the choice of words and exercising our rights without restraint of tyranny in order to defend our common destiny.

Ms Aryee said under no circumstances should the country be plunged into chaos and violence during the electioneering campaign and the elections, "else posterity would forever blame us."

The realisation of the national aspirations depend on how united and integrated we are as a people and how committed we are to the fact that there is a common destiny to fulfil to achieve our socio-political, economic and cultural objectives to live in peace, she held.

She therefore impressed on the NCCE to intensify its educational programme in all parts of the country to create the awareness among the people to carry out their activities in a humane manner.

Ms Aryee called on all to participate in the decision making process and urged those who have threatened not to vote for various reasons to rescind their decision.

She advised the media against reporting inflammatory remarks that could create disturbances and chaos, adding, "we have chosen democracy and not tyranny."

Mr Christopher Kessie, President of Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled, stressed the need for mutual trust among one another and ensuring free flow of information and equal access to the media.