Techiman (B/ER), June 25, GNA – Mr Kwasi Adu Gyan, the Bono East Regional Minister, has commended the regional leadership of the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress for their cooperation towards peace in the region.
“I am proud and extremely excited to see the NPP and NDC in Bono East working together peacefully, in resolving the political impasse between them,” he said.
Mr Gyan said peace created an enabling environment for development to thrive, saying without peace it would be difficult for development to progress in the region.
The Regional Minister gave the commendation in a statement issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after a forum in Techiman.
The forum was attended by representatives of the NPP and NDC, representatives of traditional authorities, security agencies, Electoral Commission, National Commission or Civic Education and civil society organizations.
On the theme: “Countering Post 2020 Election Violence, and Building Consensus for Greater Political Tolerance in Ghana,” the forum was organised by the National Peace Council and sponsored by the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Topics discussed centred on dealing with election-related violence and resolving election-related complaints and disputes.
Mr Gyan said Ghanaians ought to be proud of the country being ranked the second most peaceful in Africa by the Global Peace Index Report 2021, and underlined the importance for the NPP and NDC to collectively help to preserve and strengthen the prevailing peace in the country.
“This achievement is a collective effort of the chiefs, political parties, security services as well as the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and the media,” he said.
Mr Gyan gave the assurance the Regional Coordinating Council would ensure the required peace needed for development was maintained.
Alhaji Suallah Abdallah Quandah, the Executive Secretary of the Bono Regional Peace Council, in a presentation on Electoral Justice, said electoral justice played a decisive role in ensuring the stability of the political system in the country, the statement said.
“The role of electoral justice, although not new, has become recognised as a crucial factor in all democracies, whether emerging or established”, it said and explained electoral justice was a pre-requisite for preventing political and election violence.
Alhaji Quandah stressed the need for periodic review of the nation’s electoral justice system to ensure it fulfilled its function of guaranteeing free, fair and credible elections, the statement said.
GNA