By Francis Kwabena Cofie
Accra, Sept. 18, GNA- A 33-member Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) has been inaugurated by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Ayawaso Central Municipality to promote peace in the upcoming 2024 general election.
The Committee is chaired by Nii Kpowolunor, Kokomlemle family head, with Superintendent Augustina Enti, Kotobabi Divisional Police Commander as Vice Chairperson.
The members include representatives of political parties, the media, traditional authorities, the municipal assembly, Christian organizations, women, and youth groups, NCCE, the Electoral Commission, Persons with Disability, and the District Police Commander.
The IPDC would provide an avenue to address the electoral concerns of the citizens, promote tolerance, mitigate potential conflicts while serving as a platform for dialogue and collaboration towards peaceful elections.
Among key activities of the IPDC include the engagement of stakeholders in resolving inter/intra-party disagreements that could potentially affect the upcoming elections and organize interactive inter-party fora aimed at diffusing tensions that could escalate into violence.
Mrs. Ruth Akueteh, the Municipal NCCE Director, in an address, urged the members to contribute their quota to preserve the peace prevailing in the municipality and to collaborate with the Commission to further engage the populace on electoral issues.
She said the death and violence recorded in some parts of the country during the last four year’s election indicated that there was a dire need to deepen and consolidate the democratic tenets and credentials of the country.
“Ghana’s situation provides enough justification for the formation of IPDC that would act as a buffer zone in the constituencies to serve as a platform for dialogue and collaboration among political parties, stakeholders and citizens,” Mrs Akueteh stated.
She said the upcoming election presented a critical time for Ghana, adding that it was essential to ensure that voters were well- informed and engaged.
The NCCE Director said the Commission’s educational campaign anchors on the theme “Together we can Build Ghana, so Get Involved. “
Madam Lydia Anom, the EC Municipal Director gave the assurance that the Commission would deliver on their mandate to ensure free, fair, and credible elections and admonished all parties to train their polling agents to report accurate happenings at the polling stations.
Superintendent Enti on his part prevailed on all stakeholders to ensure a peaceful incident-free elections and that the IPDC could lead the way in promoting constructive engagements, cooperation, and effective conflict resolution.
She called for political tolerance and respect on the part of all parties as part of the process to ensure the desired goal of peaceful and harmonious elections, adding; “Our differences should not be a source of conflict but rather a catalyst for constructive dialogue. “
The Police Commander urged party members to avoid damaging the property of opponents and using confrontational methods to resolve issues.
GNA