The Builsa North Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has reactivated its Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) to act as buffer zone to stem suspicions and anxiety among political parties in the constituency as the country heads to polls on December 7th.
The reactivated five-member Committee include Reverend Father Sabastian Aduku, Catholic Priest of the Christ the King Catholic Church in Sandema as Chairman, Mr Alikali Kunate, a representative of the Municipal Chief Imam as the Deputy Chairman and Mr Jeffery Adda the Municipal Director of the NCCE, as Secretary.
The rest are Mr Adeenze Robert of the Builsa North Municipal Elections Office as Treasurer, while Mr Rierselle Akanbon of the Builsa North Municipal Directorate of CHRAJ is the Organiser.
Addressing participants at the programme, Mr Jeffery Adda said credible and peaceful elections were critical components of democracy and good governance.
He noted that elections in most developing countries, especially in Africa, had unfortunately brought in their wake violence resulting in untold hardships, stress, and wanton destruction of lives and property.
He said Ghana was among the few countries in Africa that made significant progress with regards to free and fair elections since its return to constitutional rule.
“Ghana has chalked an impressive record of success, an unprecedented enjoyment of uninterrupted stable democratic rule. As a result, Ghana has been internationally acclaimed as one of the beacons of democratic governance not only in West Africa, but the African Continent as a whole,” He said.
Mr Adda said Ghanaians had, over the years, continued to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law, free, vibrant and liberalised media landscape and the promotion of democracy in general.
“As a result of Ghana’s record, there is the dire need to deepen and consolidate these democratic tenets and credentials. Ghana’s situation, therefore, provides enough justification for the re-activation of the IPDCs that will act as a buffer zone in the constituency to stem the tide of unnecessary suspicions and anxiety among political parties,” He said.
The IPDC is a platform that offers opportunity for the NCCE and its major stakeholders to engage with the electorate on issues concerning the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
The purpose of the IPDCs, as stated in the Sustainable Development Goal-16, is to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.
On its operational areas, Mr Adda said the Committee would monitor breaches of the rules and regulations regarding the electoral process investigate cases of abuse and resolve petty conflicts or misunderstandings that may affect the process.
The MCE for Builsa North Mr David Amoabil Afoko who before becoming an MCE was the NPP chairman for the Builsa North Constituency recounted the success story of the committee during the 2016 elections.
“If you have ever witness war you would never hope for war, war does not bring development and the sad part is that it is the children who suffer the most when there’s war. Imagine there’s war and you need water to drink and there’s no water in your room’’
He said, peace was very critical to the socio-economic development of every society hence the many engagements of stakeholders in the electoral process over the week and the previous week with the aim of sustaining peace before, during and after the December polls.
Mr P .P. Apaabey Baba, Regional Director of the NCCE, said he was very excited to see the re-activation of the Committee in the District adding that the Committee performed very creditably during the 2016 elections and pledged the Regional Directorates support to the committee.
Reverend Father Sebastian Adoku, on his part, urged leadership of the various political parties to ensure that the elections were conducted peacefully devoid of conflicts.
He advised the youth not to allow themselves to be used as instruments to cause mayhem. He charged politician to go beyond preaching peace to practicing peace. Saying ‘’ I condemn the acts of vandalism and politicians who are highly educated sinking so low to engage in extreme jubilation whenever their parties win an election thereby making mockery of the losing party’’ I condemn it in no uncertainty he added
The NPP constituency Chairman Mr Albert Atuga and Mr Amwani Anyewon Vitus representative of the Independent candidate pledged to ensure peaceful and violent- free elections.
Derrick Abakisi-Noiyeng Radio.
