By Iddi Yire
Accra, Nov 29, GNA – Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, African Union (AU) High Representative for Silencing the Guns, has lauded Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Dramani Mahama for signing the Peace Pact for the December 7 polls.
The Peace Pact is aimed at promoting peaceful conduct among political parties in the December 7 general election.
“I don’t know all the Presidential Candidates. But I do know very well Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Dramani Mahama,” Dr Chambas remarked in his keynote address at the signing of the Fourth Peace Pact in Accra.
“And believe me when I tell you that Ghana is blessed to have these two as candidates for the two major political parties, the ruling NPP and the opposition NDC.”
Dr Chambas, who is also the Chair of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan, said Vice President Dr Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former President Mahama, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were gentlemen par excellence in their upbringing and natural disposition who would not want any Ghanaian to lose his or her life or spill blood for their victory.
“I would like to thank all the candidates for their patience and pledges to peaceful elections,” Dr Chambas stated.
“So let us all leave here committed and determined to ensure peaceful elections, non-violence and justice, the theme of today’s Peace Pact signing ceremony.”
Dr Chambas paid tribute to the National Peace Council and in particular its Chairman, Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi and its Executive Secretary, Mr George Amoh and the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), in particular its Executive Director Dr Emmanuel Akwetey for their resilience, persistence and unrelenting efforts, their shuttle diplomacy among government authorities, political parties and civil society, various embassies, the United Nations, the European Union, religious and traditional leaders for making possible for the Peace Pact to take place.
He said the signing of the Peace Pact had become one of the good practices of Ghana’s enviable electoral process; adding that it was a symbolic gesture by the presidential candidates with profound impact across the length and breadth of the country.
Dr Chambas noted that the signing of the document was at the same time an undertaking, a commitment by the leaders of the political parties and independent candidates to uphold the lofty principles of fair play, eschewing violence, allowing the electoral process to proceed uninterrupted and adhering to the rule of law in resolving any disputes that may arise from the elections.
He said it was also a platform for delivering a strong, clear, unambiguous, and powerful message to party faithful, followers of candidates and the population at large that there was no place for violence in democratic elections.
“No place for guns, cutlasses, knives, stone throwing or beatings in elections,” Dr Chambas stated.
“When the Heads of State of Africa adopted the Silencing the Guns Initiative, they sought through it to build an Africa at peace with itself and with the rest of the world.
“They were also desirous of bequeathing to present and future generations a peaceful continent which would put conflicts behind it to focus on urgent issues of underdevelopment, poverty, inequalities and the pressing and existential challenges of our time.”
He said across the continent one of the triggers of conflict had been poorly conducted elections; adding that in this regard, Ghana had stood out as a shining example, and several sister countries had, over the years, picked up many best practices of election management systems, technology, innovation, processes, and procedures from here.
Dr Chambas touched on shared responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure credible, open, participative, inclusive elections whose results no one could have justifiable cause to reject; saying “that is the pathway to peaceful elections”.
Dr Chambas emphasized that with just nine days to the elections of December 7, the weight of the burden had now shifted to the Electoral Commission, the Ghana Police Service and supporting security agencies, party and other political activists, the media, and the judiciary; declaring that “There can be no complacency”.
Dr Chambas underscored that Ghana’s past successes were no guarantee or assurance of current or future performance; “nothing should be taken for granted. There should be no room for complacency.”
He said the EC must operate transparently to allay the concerns of its critics or skeptics.
He urged party leaders and other political operatives or activists to avoid hate speech and actions likely to incite their followers to violence.
GNA