NDC, NPP commit to peaceful elections in December

The two leading political parties in the country, the ruling New Patriotic Party NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress NDC have committed to a peaceful Presidential and Parliamentary elections in the Atebubu-Amantin constituency in December.

The parties made the declaration during the second inter-party dialogue committee meeting organized in Atebubu by the National Commission for Civic Education NCCE with support from the European Union.

The IPDC serves as a platform for dialogue and collaboration among political parties, stakeholders and citizens to address electoral concerns promote tolerance and mitigate potential conflicts.

Welcoming participants to the meeting, the Atebubu-Amantin municipal director of the Commission, Mr. Patrick Tampugre said the meeting which forms part of phase two of the Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism activities aimed at providing a forum for information sharing and the discussion of issues that could potentially degenerate into conflicts in the run-up to, during and post elections in December.

The Atebubu-Amantin municipal crime officer of the Ghana Police Service Assistant Superintendent of Police Thomas Prempeh Mercer said the 1992 constitution guarantees freedom of association adding that differences in political leanings must not divide us as a people.

He regretted the divisive utterances of some political actors which he said does not bode well for the peace of society and called for an increased dialogue among political parties.

ASP Prempeh Mercer asked parties to desist from inciting the youth to violence and urged them to notify his outfit of any potential threats to peace.

The Atebubu-Amantin municipal Coordinating Director Mr. Joseph Tang decried the contribution of party politics to the erosion of Ghanaian traditional values adding that some youth hide behind politics to cast aspersions at people who maybe older than them.

He praised the organizers for the unique platform and asked participants to carry home the message of peace to their followers.

Pastor Nelson Aho, Vice Secretary of the Local Council of Churches spoke about plans to collaborate with their Muslim counterparts in a peace campaign aimed at ensuring incident free elections in December.

The Returning Officer at the municipal office of the Electoral Commission of Ghana Mr. Peter Gyedu indicated his outfit’s commitment to free, fair and transparent elections in December.

In an open forum, participants deliberated on a wide range of issues that if not checked could threaten the peace during the elections and suggested ways that they could be nipped in the bud. These include irresponsible journalism, the use of unsavory language on radio and the reliance on hearsay as a basis for claims during political talk shows on radio.

The meeting agreed to the need for political parties to check the excesses of their communicators while affirming the importance of justice to peace.

The Parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party NPP Mr. Abu Issa Dimie who was personally present declared his commitment to peace whiles Mr. Bayimi Elisha an executive of the National Democratic Congress NDC did same on behalf of the incumbent Member of Parliament Hon. Sanja Nanja who could not make it due to official duties.

Present were representatives of disability groups, the clergy, office of the Chief Imam, the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and the media.