Political leaders should demonstrate genuine commitment to peace

Nkawie (Ash), Nov. 3, GNA - Mr Charles Yeboah, Atwima District Chief Executive, has called on the leadership of the political parties to demonstrate genuine commitment to peaceful, free and fair polls by insisting on responsible conduct among their supporters.

He reminded them that it was only when they showed the courage to publicly denounce acts of indiscipline, provocation and intolerance on the part of their followers that tension could be reduced to stave off unnecessary violent confrontations in the run up to Election 2004.

Mr Yeboah was speaking at a day's workshop on political tolerance held at Nkawie on Wednesday by the Atwima District Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

Representatives of the various political parties, religious leaders, assembly members, traditional rulers, the media and teachers attended it.

The DCE said: "Let us accept to consign to history the insults, acrimony and shameful acts of booing political opponents that characterised our past electioneering campaigns." Mr Yeboah warned that the law would deal ruthlessly with those bent on fomenting trouble in the area regardless of which political party they belonged.

"We will ensure that the law is applied without fear or favour", he said.

Mr P.H. Mensah, Acting Ashanti Regional Director of NCCE, asked the political parties to abide by the very code of conduct they themselves had developed.

He spoke of the need for Ghanaians to respect each other's constitutional rights to associate with any political party of their choice, adding that politics should never be allowed to divide them. Mr Bismark Yaw Kwabia, the District Director of the Commission, said democracy was growing in the country and asked that all should play their roles well for its sustenance.

He said he was unhappy with the situation where some church leaders used the pulpits as political campaign platforms and said that was unhelpful to the cohesion of the church.