IEA Inaugurate Bodies To Check Negative Political Campaigning

It’s barely nine months to Ghana’s general elections expected to be held on December 7, 2012, but the stakes are already high as discourses amongst the various political parties particularly between supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) are gradually beginning to mar the electoral process.

Even though it’s early days yet, some political pundits are already foreseeing a situation worse than what occurred during the 2008 elections which almost brought the nation to a brink of violent conflict. As many expect that unfortunate situation to serve as deterrent to all the parties going into this year’s polls, the current nature of utterances and behavior of some of the country’s politicians in both the NPP and NDC is of great concern to peace loving Ghanaians.

For instance, the aforementioned political parties are allowing politics of insults, acrimony, hate speeches, foul language, character assassination and intolerance that have the potential to rip the country apart, to take centre stage of their scheme of things, while the compromises and the general political morality essentially needed for democracy and peaceful elections are all thrown to the wind. What is more worrisome is that some politicians are actually inciting their supporters to engage in violent activities, hence the continuation of verbal exchanges on television and radio stations.

In order to nib this monstrous behavior among politicians or political parties in the bud, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in collaboration with Star Ghana and The Netherlands Institute for Multi Party Democracy, has inaugurated Regional Enforcement Bodies across all ten regions of Ghana and charged them with the mandate to enforce provisions of the 2012 Political Parties Code of Conduct. These provisions include:

a) Moving around the regions to monitor political campaigns, rallies and other activities of the political parties.

b) Investigating allegations of abuse at the regional level, prepare reports and submit them to the National Enforcement Body.

c) After the investigations have been conducted, the Regional Body can recommend sanctions and submit same to the National Body.

The idea towards the establishment of the bodies was nurtured through the Ghana Political Parties Programme (GPPP) under the auspices of the IEA ahead of the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections. Much result was not achieved then due to late implementation of programmes, but officials of the non-governmental organization are optimistic things would work well this time round.

At the inauguration of the Regional Enforcement Bodies for the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions in Tamale, retired Brigadier General Francis Agyemfra, a Visiting Senior Fellow of the IEA, said the Code makes explicit provisions against offences such as:

a) Hampering the rights of other political parties and candidates to put their views across to the electorate;

b) Defamatory, inflammatory and foul language, as well as provocative, derogatory and insulting attacks on other parties, personalities, and ethnic and religious groups;

c) Disrupting, obstructing or breaking up rallies or meetings organized by other political parties or candidates;

d) Abuse of incumbency;

e) The use of thugs to terrorise voters and creating intimidation and an atmosphere of tension on polling day;

f) Fraudulently procuring results and votes by invasion, and forcible occupation of polling stations and any unlawful means; and

g) Stealing of ballot boxes and arson at voting centres.

h) Unilateral Declaration of election results by political parties and candidates, among others.

Members of the Bodies are made up of representatives of the NDC, NPP, Convention People’s Party, People’s National Convention and Progressive People’s Party as well as the National Commission on Civic Education and some civil society groups. The National Body is made up of similar representation including the Ghana Journalist Association. The Bodies are expected to hold meetings at least once every month and submit their report to the IEA subsequently.

The mandate of the National Enforcement Body is to:

a) Investigate all reports received from the regions and sanction those in breach of the Code. Sanctions may be issued in the form of reprimands, and undertakings from offending parties not to repeat the offence committed among others.

b) Publish the findings of its investigations and, where necessary, alert the security agencies and other appropriate state institutions for further action to be taken. These sanctions will be publicized in the form of press releases and press briefings. In situations where the offences committed are found to be severe, a report will be made to the security agencies for the appropriate action to be taken.

Inaugurating the three Regional Enforcement Bodies, Brig. Gen. Agyemfra observed that since 1993 till date, conduct of peaceful elections continues to pose critical challenges to the nation, as political elites were yet to come to terms with the realization that for constitutionalism to thrive, and democracy to function effectively, there was the need for tolerance and accommodation.

He observed that one of the key challenges facing Ghana, therefore, was how to operate the democratic system successfully in peace, security and stability.

Turning his attention to the media, and particularly the private radio stations and newspapers, the former soldier, said various media houses had allied themselves to one party or the other, and through sensationalism, downright absolute lies, concoctions, intrigues and intemperate language, were creating a state of intolerance and polarization of the country.

Brig. Gen. Agyemfra thus, cautioned the media against such unprofessional conducts that had the tendency to turn Ghana into unfortunate situations that occurred in neighbouring countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Kenya and most recently, La Cote d’Ivoire.