By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Sept. 21, GNA – The Reverend Francis Tetteh Guggisberg, the Chairman of the Metro Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC), has given its assurance to work towards ensuring a peaceful election just as it did in the election 2020.
Rev. Guggisberg said the Committee had then held a series of meetings on how to maintain peace before, during, and after the 2020 elections, working together for a very peaceful election.
He commended all stakeholders for keeping to their promise through collaborations before the elections and holding of fora to meet the parliamentary candidates for Tema East and Tema Central constituencies.
“We have seen cordial relationships between the various political parties; our prayer is that it will continue like that. Tema has become the standard, and I therefore appeal that we continue like that,” he said.
Rev. Guggisberg who was addressing the IPDC reactivation meeting organised by the Tema Metro Office of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), underscored the importance of dialogues in promoting peace in all aspects of the community, family, and political activities.
Madam Gifty Agyeiwaa Badu, the Tema Metro Director, NCCE, said the Inter-IPDC, which was introduced in 2008, was one of the strategies the Commission used to foster peaceful elections and ensure political stability in Ghana.
She said it served as a platform for political parties, stakeholders, and citizens to collaborate and dialogue on issues that addressed electoral concerns, promote tolerance, and mitigate potential conflicts nationwide.
“One of the key success stories of the IPDC since its inception is the contribution it has made by eliminating or minimising electoral violence during our general elections,” adding that peaceful elections were not only important for Ghana’s democracy and development, but for the country to maintain the accolade as the “beacon of hope for Africa’s development.”.
Madam Badu said Ghana had no excuse not to excel its Election 2024, which was the ninth under the fourth republic, as the country had survived eight presidential and parliamentary elections and changed government on three different occasions within its 32 years of democratic journey.
The IPDC, she noted, was working on the theme: “Together We Can Build Ghana, So Get Involved,” which happened to be the NCCE educational campaign theme for the Election 2024.
Mrs Gloria Kudo, the Greater Accra Regional Deputy NCCE Director, urged all Ghanaians to get onboard to help maintain peace before, during, and after the elections.
She urged the IPDC to deliberate and advocate against election result predictions by religious bodies, as the act had the potential of sparking violence, especially if the prediction was for losing the elections.
Mrs Kudo also spoke against voting on an ethnic basis, as well as vote buying and selling, as doing so amounted to “selling the voters’ conscience,” which could cost the country’s development.
Mr Manasseh Ofosuhene Asante, the Tema Metro Electoral Officer, reiterated the promise of the Electoral Commission to deliver a peaceful, credible election, stressing that it will be very difficult for the chairperson of the commission to rig or cheat in favour of any candidate.
He gave the assurance that discrepancies and errors in the voter register seen during the registration were resolved to have a very credible register, encouraging political parties to have trust and faith in the process.
Superintendent Eric Amponsah, the Tema Community Two Crime Officer, urged political party leadership to properly educate their supporters on electoral laws to help prevent unnecessary confrontations and fueling of conflict.
GNA