Christians urged to lead crusade against votes buying

Obuasi, April 30, GNA - Christians have been urged to lead crusade against votes buying by politicians especially in the upcoming December presidential and parliamentary elections because it is wrong before God. The Right Reverend Benjamin K. Asare, the Bishop of Obuasi Diocese of the Methodist Church, who gave the advice, said it is a sin before God for one to sell his or her votes.

Speaking at the 11th synod of the Diocese at Anyinam, a suburb of Obuasi, Bishop Asare stressed, "I want to appeal to all Christians not to open themselves up for deception.

"Parties are ready to buy your votes with the distribution of monies, cutlasses, sewing machines, wax prints and the rest". He said it was important for the electorate to listen to the politicians and then formed their own opinions and judgements. The Methodist clergy said Ghana needed a Government that would really make education free for all with the needed infrastructure, affordable health care with good clinics and hospitals, good roads, water, electricity, eradication of common diseases and more scholarships. The Rt. Reverend Asare urged Christians to pray for the elections so that the right Government would emerge.

He also appealed to the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure that, the elections were conducted in a transparent manner that would be acceptable by all.

Again he urged political parties to resort to the due process of the law in addressing any misgivings during and after the elections adding "any call for violence and intimidation should be condemned". Bishop Asare condemned what he called "power struggle" in the country's democratic dispensation, whereby everybody wanted to become a president or a member of parliament.