Prez declares 3 days fasting, prayers for elections
President John Dramani Mahama has called on Christians and Muslims, as well as people of faith, to dedicate three days to fast and pray for the nation ahead of the December 7 general election.
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A statement signed by the Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, and issued in Accra yesterday said the fasting and prayer were expected to start from Friday, December 2 to Sunday, December 4, 2016.
It also called on all Ghanaians to dedicate specific days of worship — Friday, Saturday and Sunday — to pray to God to intercede for Ghana.
“As we fast and pray for continuous peace and stability in Ghana before, during and after the elections, the President is further urging all to dedicate their specific days of worship — Friday, Saturday and Sunday — to pray to God to intercede for Ghana,” the statement said.
Beacon of hope
The statement said it was the belief of the President that through fasting and prayers, supported by appropriate measures and actions on the part of all stakeholders, “our dear nation will once again demonstrate to the world that Ghana is not only the beacon of hope for Africa’s democracy but also the nation’s ready and willing to continue on the path of progress and prosperity for all.”
Skirmishes
The call comes in the wake of rising political tension resulting in some skirmishes and clashes between supporters of the two major political parties.
To assure the electorate of their commitment to peace and stability, the seven presidential candidates contesting the December 7 general election signed a peace declaration at a ceremony in Accra last Thursday that attracted the attention of the international community.
A momentous occasion coming just five days to the general election, the declaration sent positive signals to the rest of the world that Ghana was keen on maintaining its enviable credentials as a beacon of peace and democracy on the African continent, even in the face of the fierce competition that had characterised the political contest.
