Fierce quest for power by politicians creating uncertainty in Ghana – IEA Fellow
Brigadier-General Francis Agyemfra (Rtd), Visiting Senior Fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), has observed that the fierce quest for power by Ghanaian politicians has created uncertainty and unrest ahead of Election 2012.
He said: “Indications are that the election, which promises to be keenly contested, is going to be real test for the good health and maturity of our democracy”.
Brig-Gen. Agyemfra was speaking at regional educational and awareness creation campaign for peaceful election 2012, organised by the IEA and the National Commission for Civic Education, in Tamale.
The programme, which was on the theme: “Towards Violence-Free Election in Ghana; the 2012 Code of Conduct for Political Parties”, was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme.
About 150 participants, including media personnel, traditional rulers, security personnel, representatives of political parties, non-governmental organisation and civil society groups took part in the one-day event.
Brig-Gen. Agyemfra advised politicians to be calm and refrained from using abusive languages, to help guard the relative peace in the country.
He called Ghanaians to take cue from election-related violence in Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Egypt, Rwanda and Tunisia to ensure peaceful electoral process
Mrs Hilary Gbedemah, Rector of the Law Institute, who took participant through the code of conduct for political parties, said the 24-page document was about how every party should conduct itself during campaign, out-of-campaign activities, elections and activities after declaration of results.
She said the document was comprehensive and addresses almost all the pertinent issues regarding the relationship between the political parties, and issues concerning the conduct of free, fair and peaceful elections.
Mrs Gbedemah said the code entreats all political parties and candidates to at all times avoid defamatory, inflammatory and foul language.
She said the document stipulates that provocative, derogatory and insulting attacks on other parties, personalities, ethnic and religious groupings by way of communication, verbal or non-verbal, shall be avoided at all times
Mr Gbedermah said with regards to campaigning, the code provides that political parties, candidates, party members and agents shall desist from carrying arms, and the display of same, and shall extend co-operation to the law enforcement agencies, particularly for the purpose of recovery of illegal arms.
She said the code also states that no political party’s candidate shall take any extra legal initiative for the release of any person arrested for carrying offensive weapons during campaigning and elections, and on no account should any party or candidate initiate extra legal measures for the release of such persons from lawful custody.
Mrs Gbedemah said the code prohibits ruling political party from using state resources for party political campaigns, bars political parties from turning state functions into party campaigns rallies, prohibits them from disrupting meetings, rallies, etc of other parties or candidates.
Source: GNA