Sunyani, Feb 20, GNA- Mr. David Kanga, Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Finance and Administration has cautioned political parties against adopting unfair means to win elections.
"If any political party uses fraudulent tactics to win elections, it will mean stealing power from the people and someone else could use other means to steal this 'stolen power'".
Mr. Kanga was addressing a one-day workshop in Sunyani, organized by the EC as part of the awareness creation on the impending new voters' registration exercise with political party representatives and media practitioners.
The workshop was organized by the EC in collaboration with KAB Governance Consult, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Mr. Kanga stressed that it was the collective responsibility of the EC, political parties, the media and all other stakeholders to ensure free and fair elections and that should start with the establishment of a clean voters' register.
He advised political parties to avoid unnecessary wrangling and "unproductive" criticisms and give unflinching support to national efforts to let democracy grow.
" Whatever we do and say must be in the national interest and not our parochial interests because Ghana is our country and we must give priority attention to her prosperity ", the Deputy Chairman said.
Mr Kanga noted that the most intractable conflicts were identity-based and urged the political parties to advise their members and supporters to exercise extreme circumspection and restraint even in the face of provocation.
A civil war or any conflict based on identity problems, be it of colour, race or religion will not be in anybody's interest, he said and urged communities to help solve identification problems at polling stations and registration centres.
He emphasized that if political parties as well as other stakeholders were vigilant in the electoral process there would not be any need to worry about any problems.
Mr Joseph Yeboah Benneh, Development Co-ordinator of the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, the guest speaker, called on all stakeholders to work to ensure the institution of a voters register that would be acceptable to all.
He noted that the replacement of the register was a welcome innovation that could effectively check impersonation. Mr Benneh urged the political parties to exercise decency and maturity during the exercise and to educate their members and supporters on the essence of it.
Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister expressed the hope that political parties and stakeholders would eschew emotions and passions to enable the people to realize the importance of the exercise. The onus lies with the EC to give us a credible register, he stated and urged the Commission to effectively supervise its personnel to work assiduously to achieve excellence.
Mr Amadu Sulley, Brong Ahafo regional Director of the Commission called on the participants to carry the message to the people so that they could become well equipped with the rules of the exercise. Mr Jarvis Agyeman-Badu, Nkoranza District Director of Education, who presided, expressed the hope that the new register would remove cases of impersonation and double registration by voters.
