Election '08 should not tear nation apart - NCCE

The Eastern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr. Quaye Sowah has said that Election 2008 should not degenerate into disturbances that could tear the nation apart.

He said in spite of the current tense political environment, there was the hope that, the good judgment of Ghanaians shall prevail at the end so that such differences would not degenerate into any political upheavals.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Koforidua, Mr Sowah pleaded with leaders of political parties to appreciate that the key to democracy is stability and in that light, learn to engage in activities that promote the welfare of the state rather than engaging in actions that threaten its security.

He said political parties should learn to accommodate their opponents' views and dialogue instead of engaging in acts that would retard the progress of the nation.

Mr. Sowah urged political parties not to play the ethnic card in their campaigns as issues of ethnicity often tended to inflame passions that might not be productive but rather undermine the common good of the nation.

Similarly, he asked Ghanaians to refrain from religious bickering which might lead to social turbulence.

Mr Sowah said the NCCE would focus primarily on messages that emphasize the oneness of the people and the need to be tolerant of each other's views as key to deepening democracy and a democratic culture.