NCCE PREPARES FOR PEACEFUL BY-ELECTIONS IN CHEREPONI (PAGE 16)

In readiness towards ensuring a peaceful by-election in the Chereponi constituency in the Northern Region, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has organised a workshop for the people to live above reproach during the events which will lead to the September 29, 2009 election.
According to the Northern Regional Director of the Commission, Mr Harunah Husheini Sulemana, the resort to violence at the least provocation among supporters of political parties was most unfortunate, since politics was about the exchange of ideas and holding of different opinions.
The director therefore, appealed to politicians to forthcoming upon their supporters not to consider the impending elections as a matter of life or death, but an exercise to select the best candidate to champion their aspirations.
The workshop which was supported by the United Nation’s Development Programme (UNDP), was attended by the leadership of political parties, youth groups, traditional authority, security agencies and heads of department in the district.
Among topics discussed at the day’s forum were, “electoral process and electoral conflicts in Ghana”, and “general overview of conflicts in Chereponi district”, with emphasis on chieftaincy, land, political and religious upheavals that have been the bane of the area for sometime now.
Mr Sulemana further entreated the party leadership to use the impending by-election as an opportunity to help unite the people of Chereponi by preaching peace and national cohesion on their various campaign platforms.
He bemoaned the rate at which electoral disputes had characterised Ghana’s elections with particular reference to northern Ghana, and therefore, advised residents of Chereponi to conduct themselves before, during and after the election.
The director expressed concern over the fact that Chereponi, which is one of the youngest districts in the region, had been inundated with unnecessary conflicts that was drawing the area’s development backwards.
On security arrangements, Mr Sulemana gave the assurance that adequate measures would be put in place to forestall any possible acts that could degenerate into conflicts among supporters.
The participants for their part, called for an all inclusive governance system to reduce conflict situations.
They also entreated the Government to resource the NCCE to be able to carry out its constitutional mandate effectively while entreating security operatives to exhibit more professionalism in the discharge of their respective duties before, during and after the by-election.