By Iddi Yire
Accra, Oct 17, GNA – Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the African Union (AU) High Representative for Silencing the Guns and Chairman of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan, has appealed to Ghanaians to ensure peaceful and violent free elections.
“We have a track record that, yes, on our continent, in our sub-region, when they are counting countries that are known for generally peaceful, credible elections, Ghana, we are up there. And we want to keep it up there,” he stated.
Dr Chambas made the appeal on Thursday in his remarks in Accra at the official launch of Coalition of Domestic Election Observers’ (CODEO) election day observation activities and kick-off of its cascade training for observers for the December 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.
Ghanaians will on December 7 go to polls to elect a president and 276 Members of Parliament (MPs) for a four-year term.
Dr Chambas reiterated that past performance was not an assurance of future success; saying, “So, this is where vigilance is called for. Let’s not be complacent.”
“Let us work to improve on our past performance and make every process even better.”
Adding that in this regard, all stakeholders had their roles to play.
He said that ensuring peaceful and violent free elections was a shared responsibility; stating that state institutions, as well as civil society organisations had their roles to play.
“There was an issue of violence that came up in the past. I think we’re all determined to make sure that this time around we’ll go back to normal, which is we want to have elections at the end of which no Ghanaian has to lose their life. That’s very, very important,” Dr Chambas said.
“And we’ve had some very assuring words from the EC. I would like to believe that they will work to improve on their past performance to give everybody the confidence that this process will be very, very credible and transparent.”
Dr Chambas, who bemoaned the low representation of women in Ghana’s parliament, urged Ghanaians to ensure that they improve upon the numbers in the next parliament.
With regards to CODEO’s contributions towards Ghana’s democratic gains, Dr Chambas said: “CODEO’s impartiality should be maintained. It’s reputation for CODEO’s incorruptibility has been referenced.”
GNA