Ahead of the 2024 general election, political parties in the Obuasi East constituency have been preaching peace and promising to contribute to a free and fair election.
Speaking to the media at the end of a ceremony to outdoor members of the Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) in the Obuasi East district, representatives of the two major political parties assured their commitment to a peaceful election.
Hajia Alematu Abdul Malik, the Obuasi East Women’s Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said the party had demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that it was committed to upholding the existing peace in the country.
She said it was imperative to preserve the peace the country was enjoying.
“We are a peaceful country, and the impending elections is for the country to prove that it is the beacon of democracy in Africa and a test case as a peace-loving people,” she said.
Her counterpart in the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Cynthia Peprah said she was convinced that the elections would be peaceful, free, and fair after listening to representatives of the Ghana Police Service and the Electoral Commission.
She urged supporters of political parties to eschew all forms of violence before, during and after the general election.
The Obuasi East Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) inaugurated the IPDC, which comprised representatives of the various political parties in the constituency, security agencies, religious leaders, youth and women groups, and persons with disability.
The initiative, a brainchild of the NCCE, is funded by the European Union (EU) and the goal is to work towards averting political violence and the promotion of peaceful elections.
Ms. Jennifer Ofori, the Obuasi East Director of the NCCE, said the committee would roll out a series of activities targeted at sustaining peace in the constituency.
She said the committee together with its stakeholders would monitor the various channels of communication to check the use of abusive words by political actors.
“We are hitting the ground running with activities lined up to ensure we have peaceful general elections.
This is only our maiden meeting, there are four meetings lined up to deliberate on the best way forward, the NCCE Director hinted.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Adam Muakalu, the Obuasi Police Commander, said elections were about decision making through the power of the thumb, and did not warrant violence.
He assured that the Police remained committed to ensure the protection of lives and property before, during and after the elections.
Mr. Albert Owusu Boakye, an official of the Electoral Commission, after taking participants through electoral processes and things to avoid, pledged the EC’s commitment to ensuring free, fair, and credible elections.
