We’ll confront electoral violence — National Peace Council

The National Peace Council says it will confront electoral violence by working with stakeholders to ensure that violence does not recur in this year's general election.

A Governing Board member of the Peace Council, Rt Rev. Col John Kwamina Otoo (retd), said the council remained committed to developing mechanisms to prevent conflict and build stronger platforms to promote a peaceful and prosperous nation.

Rt Rev. Otoo was speaking at a stakeholders forum to promote a peaceful 2024 general election in Ghana towards building trust for  peaceful elections held in Cape Coast last Thursday.

He said Ghanaians and all political actors had a choice to safeguard the nation's democracy and peace, and must work to ensure that the 2024 general election was not just another political exercise but a demonstration of commitment to democracy.

He said it was important for all political parties and actors to choose tolerance, transparency, accountability and to dialogue to build trust, saying these were critical for peaceful elections.

Rt Rev. Otoo advised all actors to choose dialogue and non-violent means to resolve conflict, saying "disagreements are inevitable in any democracy; how we choose to address them will determine whether we build a peaceful and prosperous nation or one divided by violence and mistrust".

He, therefore, urged all to choose peace for prosperity.

Event

The event was organised by the Peace Council with support from the United Nations Ghana office and the United Nations office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

It was attended by people from academia, representatives of political parties, the media, civil society organisations, traditional rulers and faith-based organisations.

Rt Rev. Otoo said the country could not ignore the troubling events across the globe, as democracies the world over once considered the bastion of freedom and justice, including the United States of America, were increasingly under threat, adding that the very mechanisms of democracies had been challenged.

He observed that elections, which should serve as a peaceful means by which leaders were chosen, had often become fractious, leading to the loss of lives and destruction of property.

"Unfortunately, our own sub-region has not been spared these troubling trends. In some instances, the conduct of elections has led to unspeakable atrocities, including crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and genocides," he stated.

Rt Rev. Otoo said such events underscored the urgent need for stakeholders in all democracies, especially in Africa, to build greater trust, cooperation and a deep-rooted culture of peace.

He said the African Union's agenda 2063 envisioned a continent that was peaceful and secure, characterised by inclusive growth and sustainable development with good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law.

He said it imagined an Africa with strong values and ethics, with Africans leading the development agenda.

However, Rt Rev. Otoo said this remained far from the reality as the continent continued to face poverty, unemployment and political polarisation that undermined development, with Ghana facing unresolved chieftaincy disputes, communal conflicts and social tensions that undermined the peace of the country.

Democratic system

The National Peace Council Governing Board member said Ghana's robust democratic system must be protected to accelerate the country's development.

He said while the 2020 general elections were largely peaceful, the Peace Council and other well-meaning Ghanaians were concerned about some instances of reckless hate speech and violence that led to the destruction of lives and property.

Rt Rev. Otoo said the review of the elections indicated that the tragic loss of lives had left a stain on Ghana's image as a haven of democracy in West Africa.

He said in the aftermath of the 2020 elections, the Peace Council took deliberate steps to address the violence that occurred at Awutu Senya, Odododiodio, Ablekuma Central, Techiman South and Savelugu where violence, and in some cases the loss of lives, occurred.

He said the lessons learnt from stakeholder engagements served for further discussions for a roadmap to prevent election violence in the future and to help to build cohesion for political tolerance and national unity.

Elections credibility

The Director of Political Affairs of UNOWAS, Moudjib Djinadou, said the credibility of elections and acceptance hinged on confidence among stakeholders.

He said it was essential to build trust among all actors, especially to ensure that women, young people and persons with disability had their voices represented in the electoral process.

Mr Djinadou said Ghana had over the years shown that it had the capacity to conduct credible, inclusive and peaceful elections, and that many looked to Ghana for inspiration.

“However, we know that election outcomes will likely not satisfy all actors, hence we urge aggrieved parties to commit to seeking redress through informal and formal processes, including the courts, as Ghana has robust legal framework to address electoral disputes," he added.

Other speakers and participants called for responsible reportage and avoidance of hate speech.

They also called for accountability and transparency from duty bearers to ensure free and fair elections.