Methodist Bishop suggest stakeholders meeting on Election 2016

The Right Reverend Kofi Asare Bediako, Methodist Bishop of Sunyani, has suggested the need for a stakeholders’ meeting to identify and deliberate on vital electoral issues to facilitate peaceful election in 2016.

He said factors which evoked tension, fear and acrimony that characterised the nation’s presidential and parliamentary elections every four years must be discussed in the interest of post-election political and economic stability.

Rt Rev Bediako gave the suggestion at the opening of the 35th annual Sunyani Diocesan Synod of the Methodist Church Ghana, at Chiraa in the Sunyani West District of Brong-Ahafo Region.

The four-day programme, on the theme: “Witnessing to Christ – Teaching and Training for Effective Discipleship,” aimed at reviewing past year’s activities and make proposals for efficient administration of the Diocese.

It is being attended by 126 delegates consisting of 55 Clergy and 71 representatives of the Laity delegated by various groups such as the Men’s Fellowship, Choir Union and Women’s Fellowship.

Rt Rev Bediako said the frightful conditions experienced at elections tend to destabilise the economy with concomitant repercussions on the free fall of the cedi against the major currencies.

He cited the repatriation of capital by foreigners and the transfer of funds by citizens during election periods often put pressure on the dollar and other foreign currencies that eventually pushed the cedi to depreciate.

The Bishop stressed that the depreciation of the cedi against major foreign currencies after every national election had become a vicious cycle.

He announced the Diocese grew numerically from 43,833 in 2012 to 47,244 in 2013, representing 7.8 per cent whilst the number of societies also increased from 276 in 2012 to 294 in 2013.