2024 Elections: Choose peace over violence - Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi charges Ghanaians
The Chairman of the National Peace Council (NPC), Rev. Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, has stated that Ghanaians have a choice between peace and progress on one hand and violence and retrogression on the other in the upcoming general election.
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“Let us choose peace and progress as against violence and retrogression. Yes, that is the choice our children are asking for; that is the choice our partners are asking for, and, indeed, that is the choice nature is asking. On December 7, let us positively respond to this call,” he stressed.
Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi was speaking at a stakeholders dialogue in Kumasi held on the theme: “Building Trust amongst Stakeholders for a Peaceful 2024 General Election in Ghana”.
The Peace Council dialogues primarily seek to increase public awareness and sensitisation on the prevention of election-related violence in Ghanaian politics, and to ensure peaceful and credible 2024 elections by promoting trust among the political actors and institutions, particularly the political parties, the Electoral Commission (EC), the Ghana Police Service and the Judiciary.
The dialogues further seek to create awareness of election-related laws and regulations and the penalties for breaches, including the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999), to safeguard the security and safety of citizens and communities from the threats of election-related violence.
Shun activities
The National Peace Council Chairman urged Ghanaians to shun any activity by any person or group that had the potential to derail the peace of the country. “In our homes, workplaces, schools, in vehicles, let our conduct and words promote and protect the peace and stability of our motherland,” he said, admonishing that in all circumstances Ghanaians should use non-violent responses to address their grievances.
“Let’s encourage positive virtues such as tolerance, love for neighbour, and transparency and accountability. This will go a long way to remove mistrust and stereotypes that usually divide us,” he stated.
Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi pointed out that election, which was accepted in democracy as the mechanism for choosing leaders for states, had now become a ground for conflicts and violent destruction of lives and property.
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The clergyman said in some countries within the subregion, elections had led to crimes against humanity, genocides and ethnic cleansing.
He noted that although the 2020 general election was generally peaceful with equally peaceful court proceedings, when the results were challenged at the Supreme Court by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Peace Council and well-meaning citizens had cause for concern “after the nation experienced pockets of unrests, reckless utterances, hate speech, as well as violent destruction of lives and property”.
UN
The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, said this year’s elections would once more test the strength of Ghana’s 32-year-old democratic process.
He said it was most crucial because the elections were being organised in an environment marked by internal and regional security challenges, “misinformation and disinformation that spread too quickly on social media, the erosion of political enthusiasm among the youth, socio-economic hardships, a rise in inflammatory statements and hate speech”.
He said those were possible triggers for disruptions in electoral activities. Mr Simão said ensuring that the elections were violence-free was everyone’s responsibility, and, therefore, urged all stakeholders to strengthen their resolve and commitment to peaceful elections through individual responsible behaviour, collaboration and permanent dialogue with others.
He said the United Nations believed that Ghana could conduct credible, inclusive and peaceful elections. The Deputy Chairman of the EC in-charge of Operations, Samuel Tettey, gave an assurance that the EC would continue to be “transparent, neutral, impartial, efficient, and provide a level playing field for all political parties”.
Speaking on the need to bridge the gender gap in politics, a member of the Regional Peace Council and a lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Dr Harriet Takyi, stressed the need for women to make themselves available in the governance system.