Tuesday, October 16, 2012

CSOs In The North Campaign For Peaceful Elections


Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the Northern Region of Ghana, have reaffirmed their resolved and commitment to ensure, that the upcoming December 7, 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections, are conducted in a peaceful, free, fair and transparent manner.

According to the CSOs, it was better to make the call for peace earlier than wait till violence erupts during the period of elections, which they observed could mar the process and perhaps destabilize the economic and social ambiance of the country.

Thus, in their desire to contribute towards peaceful elections and transition of power, the CSOs which are working towards poverty alleviation and good democratic governance in the region, recently organised a peace walk in the Tamale Metropolis.

Speaking to Savannahnews in an interview after the walk, Executive Director of Northern Ghana Network for Development (NGND) Theophilus Ibrahima Dokurugu, said in order to avoid any untoward situation from now till December 7 when the electorates go to the polls, it was imperative to send across a message that would remind residents of the region particularly the youth that the mistakes of the past could be repeated if trivial issues surrounding the elections were not handled well.

He noted that violence emanating from electoral conflicts was so costly, citing countries such as Kenya, Liberia, Zimbabwe and recently La Cote D’Ivoire where thousands of her citizens were killed, maimed, displaced and property worth millions of dollars destroyed at their last presidential polls.

Tamale is a known hotspot according to recent researches conducted by various conflict resolution organizations. The majority of those often found to be engaging in violent acts particularly during elections are mostly the youth, supposedly influenced with money and other freebies by selfish politicians to enable them win power.

In this sprawling city of about 500,000 people, electioneering years are bad times for most peace loving residents considering the fact that the area was also besieged with a protracted chieftaincy dispute (Dagbon conflict) that often resurrects during electioneering periods. For instance, the 2008 elections recorded series of violent clashes between supporters of the major political parties particularly the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress in Tamale, Gushiegu and other parts of the Northern Region.

However, with less than two months to what is perhaps Ghana’s major presidential and parliamentary elections especially following the discovery of oil in 2007 that is considered a sure trump card to an economic boom, the stakes are already high as many political activists in the bigger parties are trying to outdo each other through vile propaganda and smeared campaign.

Chief Inspector Robert Aheto, Station Officer of the Tamale Metropolitan Police Command in a statement, pledged that the police administration would leave no stone unturned before, during and after this year’s elections in order to ensure that peace prevailed.

He appealed to supporters of the various political parties in the Northern Region to desist from acts that would lead to violence since Ghana stood the chance of losing so much when there is an outbreak of war as a result of elections.

Meanwhile, the Tamale peace walk which was on the theme: “A peaceful Ghana, our collective responsibility” brought together various youth groups and keep-fit clubs who carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “No peace, No Azonto”, “No peace, No development” and “No peace, No education” among others.

It was organised by NGND and Centre for Active Learning and Integrated Development (CALID) in collaboration with YouthAlive with funding support from STAR-Ghana.

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