Regular forum for political parties vital - Chief Justice

Justice Edward Wiredu, the Chief Justice, on Monday called on leaders of political parties to regularly meet to enable them to identify common strategies for solving the country's problems.

He said: "A meeting in an atmosphere of love and brotherliness would send the right signals to political fanatics that politics in a democracy does not mean war.'' The Chief Justice said these in a keynote address at the 54th annual New Year school underway at the University of Ghana, Legon.

The school was organised by the Institute of Adult Education on the theme: "Peace, Stability and national Development,'' and is being attended by more than 200 participants.

Wiredu appealed to politicians to be tolerant and patient since according to him they were expected to ensure peace, stability and national development. He said: "Our politicians and indeed all of us as Ghanaians must know that our acts go a long way to promote peace and stability of this country. Most coup de' tats were as a result of civil disobedience including disaffection towards government."

Wiredu said for social, economic, political and cultural polices to be meaningful and acceptable, they should be based on the 1992 Constitution. He hinted that a task force was streamlining proposals for an alternative dispute resolution mechanism to reduce resources spent on litigation in courts.

Wiredu stated that the Danish Development Agency would assist in establishing commercial courts in the country next year to reduce time spent by business people on disputes.

He said: ?We want to give meaning to the 'time-is-money' slogan.? Justice Wiredu quoted extensively from the Bible to emphasise his call on Ghanaians to seek divine intervention in the country development efforts.

"Why do we therefore, spent much energy and time on our problems, when we could just be obedient and turned to God for peace, stability and national development?" he asked." The Chief Justice said God could save the nation from its present despair adding that: "Apostle Paul advised us in Romans 13:8 to owe no man anything but love. Can we be fighting and killing one another if we love one another."

Professor Joseph Roland, Dean of the faculty of Social Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, who chaired the occasion, called on all Ghanaians to involve themselves in decision-making to ensure a fair allocation of economic resources. He said good governance was required for checking social inequality that threatened peace, stability and national development.