Ensuring peaceful December election: NCCE entreats media to ensure sanity on platforms
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has entreated the media to help guard the country’s democracy by ensuring their platforms are not used to disseminate hate speech and intemperate language as the country heads to the December 7 polls this year.
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The Chairperson of the commission, Kathleen Addy, said it was unfortunate that some media organisations were allowing politicians to spew invective on their platforms, saying such happenings had the potential to inflame passion and create tension which could plunge the country into chaos.
"The media serves as the oxygen of democracy and social cohesion. I want to appeal to our journalists and media organisations to promote peace in this year's election by stopping politicians from making unguarded statements and disseminating fake news," she added.
The chairperson said rather than allow their platforms to be used for warmongering, media houses should strive to educate citizens on the electoral process and also hold politicians to their words.
Ms Addy made the appeal at a press briefing in Accra yesterday to announce the commencement of activities of an Inter-party Dialogue Committees (IPDCs) established by the commission across the country.
The event which was on the theme: “Together we can build Ghana, so Get Involved,” was attended by stakeholders such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the National Peace Council (NPC), the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), the Office of the National Chief Imam, and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
IPDC activities
The IPDCs, which are present in all 276 constituencies in the 16 regions, comprise all registered political parties at the district and regional levels and their youth wings, civil society organisations (CSOs), faith-based organisations (FBOs), independent institutions, representatives of security agencies, traditional rulers and other interest groups.
The committee serves as a platform for the commission, political parties and other stakeholders to engage on key issues of the electoral process and address teething challenges that have the potential to inflame passions and affect the elections.
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It also serves as a medium through which the stakeholders share ideas of how to improve voter education and work together for the consolidation of the country’s democracy.
Among issues they would deal with are defacing of posters, intemperate, provocative and abusive campaign messages, fake news and disregard for rules regulating political party rallies and processions.
Ms Addy urged the committees to be transparent in their work in the national interest to help neutralise political tension at the grass roots.
On the ongoing limited voter registration exercise, the chairperson urged citizens who have turned 18, and those who have not previously registered with the Electoral Commission (EC), to register and participate in choosing good leaders.
"We know that political parties will want their people to be registered so that they can get more votes during the elections but we encourage them to play by the rules of the game," she said.
Tolerance
The Secretary-General of the GCBC, Rev. Fr Kwasi Adjei Clement, urged the electorate to reject politicians who want to ride on religion and money to clinch power. He said such politicians were nation wreckers and must not be allowed to destroy the peace and unity in the country.
The Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, said Muslims and Christians had co-existed peacefully in the country for decades and, therefore, must not allow religious sentiments to divide them.