Vote for candidate who empathises with workers - Mineworkers union charges Ghanaians

The Ghana Mineworkers Union (GMWU) has called on Ghanaians to vote for a candidate who understands and empathises with the needs of the working people of the country.

It said they should vote for a candidate that respects workers and trade union rights and will promote and defend same at all times.

Speaking at the Second Half Meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting of the union in Accra yesterday, the General Secretary of the GMWU, Abdul-Moomin Gbana, urged Ghanaians to vote for “a candidate who will create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive and create jobs for the teeming young people of our country”.

EC

He called on the Electoral Commission (EC), the umpire and lead actor in the electoral process, to be professional and impartial, work within its mandate for a free, fair, transparent and non violent elections on December 7, 2024.

He said the commission must also desist from all acts, including public pronouncements that had the tendency to mar the credibility of the elections and its eventual outcome.

Again, Mr Gbana said given that disputes were inevitably associated with elections, it was extremely important that the EC made internal dispute management platforms readily accessible to all the actors and citizenry by providing a complaint desk at every polling station as well as channels for providing timely feedback. 

Parties

To the political parties, Mr Gbana said, particularly the two leading parties, NDC and NPP, the union would like to urge them to be measured in their expectations and engagements with each other and the EC by eschewing violence, hate speech, disinformation etc., as such actions had the potential to stoke unquenchable political fire with its ramifications.

Mr Gbana called on them to be circumspect and law abiding and follow due process in the event of any electoral concerns any party might have, since this was the most prudent and effective way to deal with disagreements.  

“To the security agencies, you are expected to be agents of peace and enablers of democracy and not to intimidate, bully and scare innocent citizens away from exercising their franchise.

Above all, you are expected to defend the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and not to dance to the whims and caprices of any individuals or groups. Ghanaians therefore expect you to be professional as always, for this is the surest way to guarantee a free, fair and transparent election,” he said.

Mr Gbana charged the media to be circumspect in their reportage of the electoral process particularly during the elections as any misinformation and needless sensationalism could plunge the nation into chaos and confusion.

He charged the media to crosscheck their facts before they put out their stories.