The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has called for the political parties to show genuine commitment to work together to make the December polls, peaceful, clean and credible.
Mr. Arthur Wilson, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of the Commission, said they should stop doing anything to suggest tacit endorsement of acts of misconduct by their supporters.
He was speaking at a day’s workshop held in the gold mining town of Obuasi for political party youth activists.
On hand to participate, were representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Progressive People’s Party (PPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).
“Ensuring violent free elections, transparent and peaceful political environment before, during and after the election” was the theme chosen for the programme and it formed part of the stepped up engagement with the young people to talk them out of intolerance and violence.
Mr. Wilson condemned the situation, where some politicians hid behind the youth to intimidate and visit violence on their opponents.
That, he said, was bad, shameful and tasteless, adding that, it should not continue.
He advised the youth to refuse to do the bidding of any self-seeking politician in their desperate bid for power.
The Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Richard Ofori Agyeman Boadi, said it was important to deepen the conversation with the people to remove the tension, which had come to characterize election campaign in the country.
Everybody, he indicated, had a responsibility to ensure that the democratic progress, Ghana was making was sustained.
Mr. Thomas Biyimba, the Municipal Electoral Officer, expressed concern about the high number of rejected ballots seen in every election and invited the parties to focus on helping voters to properly thumbprint the ballot papers.
He underlined the resolve of the Electoral Commission (EC) to make the coming polls, free, fair and transparent.
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