Let’s have peaceful, fair elections — PCG Moderator
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rt Rev. Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, has made a clarion call for peaceful and fair elections as the nation approaches the 2024 general election.
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He said there was nothing more crucial than preserving and sustaining the peace Ghana enjoys at a time when there were disturbances, mostly caused by politics in the West African subregion as there would be nowhere for Ghanaians to turn to should the peace be breached.
Speaking at the opening of the 24th General Assembly of the PCG at Abetifi last Thursday, the Moderator emphasised: “As we approach the end of the year, the citizens of this country shall once again be called upon to exercise our democratic responsibility of going to the polls, in doing so, we must ensure that we do all we can individually and collectively to preserve the peace we enjoy.”
General Assembly
The 24th General Assembly of the PCG, brought together commissioners and corresponding members from all the 21 Presbyteries of the church both home and abroad, to deliberate on various issues affecting the church and the nation.
The meeting, the highest decision-making body of the PCG, is held to review activities of the church in the previous year, and plans for the ensuing year, and serves as a platform for fellowship, interactions and networking among commissioners and corresponding members.
It also makes decisions that guide the activities of the church in subsequent years. This year’s meeting was held on the theme: “Celebrating our heritage; persisting in missions”, which would also be the theme for the church for the next ecclesiastical year.
Rt Rev. Dr Kwakye expressed concern over the tension and apprehension that often accompanied elections, despite the country’s extensive experience with democratic processes since 1992 and urged political leaders to avoid inflammatory rhetoric, personal attacks and disinformation during their campaigns.
“Your conduct and language must not inflame passion or violence. Violence must not be promoted in any way. Indeed, we look forward to a violence-free election. This is non-negotiable,” the Moderator stressed.
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The Moderator emphasised the importance of justice and transparency in ensuring the success of the electoral process and called on the Electoral Commission to uphold the principles of fairness, firmness and transparency in their operations, stressing that the acceptance of election results hinged on strict adherence to the rules.
Encouraging Ghanaians to make informed choices based on the merit of candidates, rather than being swayed by money or material influence, he cautioned that yielding to such influences could lead to corruption and anarchy.
No campaign on pulpit
The Moderator further stated that the pulpit should not be used to advance the interests of any political party, advising the ministers that: “Let our pulpits resound with the gospel of Jesus Christ and win souls for the Lord,” he emphasised and strongly cautioned that any evidence of partisanship by church agents would be dealt with severely.
Church’s heritage
Speaking on the rich heritage of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt Rev. Dr Kwakye also recognised it as a product of a triple heritage – the Basel Mission, the Scottish Mission and African Christians.
However, he called for the inclusion of a fourth heritage, acknowledging the significant contributions of Caribbean Christians to the church’s development.
He highlighted the roles of notable Caribbean figures such as John Hall, Alexander Worthy Clerk, and Catherine Mulgrave in areas such as education, agriculture and spirituality.
“Their role in the areas of spirituality, social action, linguistic development, evangelism and church leadership calls for recognition as we celebrate the bicentennial,” the Moderator stated.
