Political Parties Youth Work to Promote Peace

WANEP-Ghana, in collaboration with the British High Commission and IBIS, is working with the youth of the major political parties in Buipe, Yendi, Gushiegu and Bimbilla to ensure non-violence in their Communities before, during and after the 2012 general elections.

Delivering a keynote address at a familiarization meeting in Yendi to introduce the Youth in Election (YiEL) project to leaders of the major political parties, PNC, NPP, NDC and CPP, the Bishop of Yendi and member of WANEP-Ghana Board, Most Rev. Vincent Boi-Nai, stated that as the election year 2012 draws closer every day, it is clear that there is the need to put in measures in an attempt to foil the outbreak of election related violence in 2012 in some hotspots.

He said the formation of the youth from the political parties into Inter-Party Youth Dialogue Committees (IPYDCs), will go a long way in increasing communication amongst the youth to dispel rumours and in the long run assist in mitigating violence in the communities. The WANEP-Ghana board member implored the party leaders to support the project in order to make it a success.

Speaking on behalf of the British High Commissioner, Peter Jones, the Projects Officer of the British High Commission, Patricia Adu-Twum said that the threat of violence in any democracy can seriously undermine the validity of an electoral result and a sign of a healthy democracy is one that is tolerant of opposing points of views or ideas by ensuring that an environment is created for the articulation of such views.

She noted that in recent times, elections have come to be violent due to the negative sentiments that people attach to the messages of their opponents during campaigns and it is heightening tension as the political parties gear up to campaign for the 2012 elections.

In a welcome address, the Director of NCCE in Yendi, Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan Iddi, emphasized that the security agencies as state institutions responsible for the security of all Ghanaians seem to be rather responsible to ruling governments. Therefore they tend to do whatever the ruling governments dictate to them and this discriminatory practice against perceived government opponents before, during and after elections, perpetuates election related violence in some communities.