Parties pledge to peaceful electioneering

As the electioneering for the December 7 polls gets closer, 11 political parties have pledged their commitment to a campaign devoid of personal attacks, name calling, insults, personality attacks and other indecent practices.

This is to avoid a situation in which the elections could degenerate into violence and draw the country into the throes of disruption and destruction as has been witnessed in a number of African countries.

The political parties have, therefore, committed themselves and their supporters to a peaceful campaign towards the general election in December, 2024. This was contained in a communique signed by representatives of the political parties after an engagement with the National Peace Council.

The political parties are the National Democratic Congress (NDC); the New Patriotic Party (NPP); the Progressive People’s Party (PPP); the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG); the People’s National Convention (PNC); the Convention People’s Party (CPP); the National Democratic Party (NDP) and the All People’s Congress (APC).

The rest are the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP); Ghana Union Movement (GUM) and the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP).

Focus

The political parties said they would campaign focusing on their promises of planned programmes and projects for Ghanaians, for which the electorate should elect the leaders rather than verbal abuse, insults and attacks of other political parties and incitement of their followers to act in a negative manner.

They also pledged to use legal processes and laws to deal with unlawful acts and actions by their members and political opponents before, during and after the elections.

“That we hereby take a definitive stand against electoral violence, impunity and injustice in our beloved nation Ghana because these acts are detrimental to the peace, welfare and sustained development of the people of Ghana,” the communique said.

Law enforcement

The parties also pledged to conduct their political campaigns in such a manner that the ability of the Police or other security agencies to perform their roles and duties in enforcing the law and maintaining law and order would not be hindered whatsoever, whether at the polling station, constituency, community, district, regional or national levels.

They pledged to intensify and expand the scope of their civic and election education activities such that the awareness and understanding of their members of the relevant electoral laws and the normative codes of conduct would improve.

“We shall also see to the strengthening of the policy and institutional capacities of our political parties so that internal compliance with the electoral laws and normative codes of conduct ratified by our political parties will be stronger and become widespread,” they assured Ghanaians.

In furtherance of this, the political parties pledged “to hold ourselves mutually accountable as peers, especially in promoting effective political leadership of the campaign against electoral violence, impunity, injustice and work for sustained peace to advance and consolidate Ghana's democracy.”