Peaceful elections – Let that be our song till after Dec 7
In just 41 days we would be at the polls once again, for the seventh consecutive time, to elect parliamentarians and a President to govern us for the next four years.
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It is all familiar – campaigns in the run-up, heated debates, use of intemperate language, threats of violence, large crowds, promises and long-winding queues on the D-day.
The cliché “your vote is your power” is indeed very true and we encourage the electorate not to be swayed by “vain” promises, paltry cash that would fly around and material things to vote for any candidate. That would be cheapening the value of one’s vote and a weakening of the power of the thumb, which, when applied wisely, will yield dividends for our good.
Rather, we urge all registered voters to do a thorough assessment of the candidates and their messages to make the right choices because any decision taken would affect our future as a country.
We all have to make peace our sworn song as we cannot take the peace we currently enjoy for granted or say we have over-flogged the message of peace.
Peace is key to any meaningful development; that is why we agree with the caution sounded by the Minister of the Interior, Mr Prosper Douglas Bani, that vigilante groups and individuals who would want to foment trouble during this year’s elections would be dealt with by personnel of the Ghana Police Service and the other security agencies.
Worthy of note is Mr Bani’s call on the clergy to desist from making prophecies or predictions on the outcome of the election as such public declarations could stir controversy and violence among supporters of the political parties.
We, however, ask all members of the public to also name and shame people who would use intemperate language or engage in activities with the aim of creating an unstable environment.
The Electoral Commission (EC) and the various political parties also have key roles to play in ensuring peaceful elections.
While it is expected of the EC to be fair and impartial in refereeing the election process, it behoves the political parties to call their members and sympathisers to order when they try to go overboard.
The Daily Graphic urges the political parties contesting various decisions of the EC in court to let the law take its course and rein in members who may want to take the law into their own hands if the judgement does not go their way.
From now to December 7 and beyond, peace is the song: so let us all sing it together and, indeed, from the same hymn book.
