Akyemmansa Inter-Party Dialogue Committee inaugurated
A 19-member Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPAC) for the Akyemmansa District was inaugurated at Akyem Ofoase on Wednesday.
Reverend Augustine Kwame Kyereh of the Methodist Church-Ghana is the chairman of the committee.
The committee is made up of one representative each from the National Democratic Congress, New Patriotic Party, Convention People’s Party, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) , the District Assembly, the media, Christian and Muslim organizations.
The rest include security agencies, traditional authorities, the Electoral Commission, youth and women groups.
Its basic objective is to provide a platform for key stakeholders to engage political parties for effective strategies, aimed at achieving free, fair, transparent and violent-free elections in December.
Swearing in the committee, a Registrar at the District Magistrate Court, Mr Emmanuel Korley Akufo, charged members to discharge their duties effectively without fear or favour.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Tom Budu, advised political parties to conduct their campaigns devoid of insults and acrimony and rather focus on their plans for the people.
Mr Budu said ensuring peace did not rest with the committee or Government alone, but it required the collective responsibility of stakeholders.
The District Director of the NCCE, Mr Daniel Chartey, said there had been marked improvement in the country’s electoral system since 1992 when Ghana returned to democratic rule.
He said notwithstanding this, there were still challenges which needed to be addressed to ensure that this year’s elections became peaceful, fair and acceptable to both the “winner and loser”.
Mr Chartey noted that Ghana might have the best electoral system but if politicians and their supporters did not abide by rules and regulations of the electoral process, the nation was bound to lose.
He challenged political parties to sensitize their supporters on the Political Parties Code of Conduct, which spells out all the “dos and don’ts” aimed at preventing misunderstandings, cheating, violence and chaos during polls.
Rev. Kyereh pledged that members of the committee would discharge their duties without bias.
He appealed to all political parties to co-operate to ensure peace during and after the elections.
Rev. Kyerah asked politicians to eschew cheap propaganda and personal attacks since “politics will lose its dignity” if they indulged in such conduct.
He appealed to the assembly to support the committee with funds and logistics to enable them to carry out their duties.
Source: GNA