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17.04.2004 General News

Cease Hostilities - CPP urges Media, NDC and NPP

17.04.2004 LISTEN
By GNA

Accra, April 17, GNA - The National Chairman and Leader of the Convention People's Party (CPP) Dr Edmund N. Delle on Saturday appealed to the hierarchy of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to cease the abusive and vindictive politics.

"The antagonism, insult and the systematic pollution of the political environment to create tension and animosity must cease from the highest level," Dr Delle told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra.

Dr Delle said the leadership of these two political parties should be hold responsible for any social unrest in the country before, during and after Elections 2004,if they failed to call their members to order. The CPP Chairman noted with regret recent trading of bad language by political activists, some ministers of states and leading members of these political parties through the media.

"This type of politicking destroys the moral fibre of the country and creates a state of insecurity."

He appealed to traditional and religious as well as opinion leaders to help defuse the "system of moral decay through the enforcement of norms, customs and tenets of our faith."

The CPP National Leader said: "every big or small man belongs to a traditional authority as well as a religious organisations and respects the leadership of such bodies.:

Dr Delle also urged the National Media Commission (NMC) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to sensitise media practitioners on the dangers of sensationalism, rumours pedalling and unguided publications.

"If journalists and social commentators failed to be circumspect, objective, truthful and factual in their reportage in line with the sensibility of the cultural norms of the country, and inflame passions, discontent leading to social disorder, they should also be held responsibly for it," Dr Delle stated.

Mr Delle said the political and communications terrain in the country and the West African sub-region demands circumspection and decorum on the political platform and its reportage.

He urged Media Practitioners to recognise the vital role of journalism in the social economic transformation of the country and entrenchment of democracy, adding, "however, we need to recognise that there is no absolute power."

Mr Delle advised journalists and politicians to accept the modern challenges and demands of the profession, which calls for diplomatic militarism with humility and sense of responsibility to propel the nation forward for accelerated growth.

He said 12 years practice of Constitutional democracy should create the enabling environment and political maturity for issue-based campaign, instead of personalisation.

Dr Delle urged the electorate to reject politicians who preached mayhem and the idolisation of personalities adding, "addressing the social-economic problem of a nation is based on understanding the issues at stake and not on personalities."

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