Working towards peaceful polls

Unfortunately, those activists have not been punished, thereby giving credence to the study by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) that those hoodlums are able to commit their crimes with the support of politicians.

In its findings, CDD-Ghana observed, “After five successive general elections and a number of bye-elections, it has become abundantly clear that the commitment of the leadership of Ghanaian political parties or at least elements within them to the idea that freely and fairly conducted elections are inherently good and desirable is extremely weak.”

Notwithstanding these challenges, the Daily Graphic is encouraged by the fact that Ghana has the men and women of goodwill and credible institutions such as the Manhyia Palace, the National Peace Council and the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) committed to working hard to keep the country together now and beyond.

It is in this vein that we commend all those who put together the platform at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) yesterday to get all the presidential candidates to sign a declaration to promote election peace and justice.

Some doubting Thomases, however, believe that that symbolic gesture will not make any impact on some of our compatriots on the lunatic fringes who profit from violence and are prepared to unleash terror and pain on their opponents because the opponents do not share in their beliefs.

At least, majority of us saw the presidential candidates append their signatures to promote peace and that alone is a good beginning. This is because all of us can then hold them to account for their actions and those of their opponents from now to election day and the processes that will lead to the declaration of results.

The Daily Graphic calls on all media houses and men and women of goodwill to hold all the candidates to show by example that they abhor violence and intimidation on the political platform by calling on their supporters not to do anything untoward.

Example, they say, is better than precept. Therefore, it is the hope of the Daily Graphic that our leaders will live by example by directing their teeming supporters to abide by the standards of acceptable behaviour in a progressive country like Ghana.

The future is bright, and although that future beckons, the hurdles will be cleared if we succeed in holding another peaceful, transparent and credible elections.

We must preach peace, but it is important to work towards peace. That is an imperative.