Eastern Regional IPAG inaugurated

The Eastern Regional Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPAC), have been inaugurated in Koforidua.

Mr Eric Bortey, Eastern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), who inaugurated the committee, advised political parties to make available to media houses copies of their respective programme and manifestoes.

He said this would help radio presenters to compare “mangoes to mangoes” and rid the media landscape of the provocative, abusive, intolerant and intemperate language.

‘It would also help equip the various propaganda secretaries and spokespersons at all levels of the party structure with the necessary information on their programmes’.

The IPAC is an initiative of the NCCE, which intends to provide an effective platform for key stakeholders to engage with political parties.

Mr Bortey said the committee shall among other functions work hand in hand with the Regional and national Enforcement bodies of the Code of Conduct for Political Parties as proposed by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) to help monitor the code and also apply the appropriate sanctions against those who abuse the code.

Mr Augustine Bosrotsi, Deputy Regional Director of the NCCE, noted that Ghana is an oasis of peace among a war torn sub-region.

He said there was the need therefore to derive strategies in order to protect the peace “that we have as a nation considering the negative effect of wars going on around us, due to negative outcome of elections”.

Mr Bosrotsi said considering Ghana’s achievements so far, the NCCE had seen the need to deepen and consolidate the democratic tenets and credentials through the formation of the IPAC that would act as a buffer zone in the constituencies to stem the tide of unnecessary suspicion and anxiety among parties.

The committee shall also work with the National Peace Council and all key stakeholders in the peace building process.

Nana Osei Nyarko the third, the Omanhene of Boso Guan, is the chairman of the committee, Reverend Solomon Sobeng, Vice-chairman, Ms Abena Gyamera, Secretary, Mr Frank Annor Dompreh, assistant secretary and Ms Stella Adu-Obeng, women’s representative. **