Knights and Ladies of Marshall urges media to be circumspect
The Knights and Ladies of Marshall, a Catholic friendly society, has appealed to media practitioners and institutions to uphold the highest journalistic values and ethics in their reportage of the electoral process.
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“With specific reference to this election, we wish to persuade the media to only publish official results declared by the Electoral Commission (EC) at the various levels,” it said.
A statement issued by the society and signed by its Supreme Knight, Sir Kt Bro. Ernest Amoako-Arhen, noted that the media was critical to national peace and security in the country.
“It is desirable that before the media publishes any information related to the election, such information should not be based on hearsay, but should first be verified to be the truth. Patriotism should be at the centre of journalistic commentary on the election,” it stated.
Concerns and recommendations
The statement expressed concern about recent events that pointed to political intolerance, especially the recent clashes between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic
Congress (NDC), as well as fanning of ethnic and religious differences, which had the potential of degenerating into violent conflicts.
“We condemn such acts and urge all political parties and indeed all citizens to exercise decorum, tolerance and civility in their campaigns and canvassing for votes,” it stated.
It said the society recognised that peace was grounded in justice.
The statement, therefore, urged the key actors such as the EC and the security agencies to discharge their duties in a transparent and just manner without fear or favour and called on the government to ensure that the agencies received adequate resources and logistics in time to undertake their tasks more effectively.
Patriotic duty
“Democratic elections are not only essential practices of good governance but also a mechanism for citizens' participation in the national development process. The choices we make and the peaceful management of this election can either enhance or retard our national development agenda,” it observed.
It, therefore, called on all eligible voters to exercise their patriotic duty by turning out on the polling day to cast their vote in a manner that was based on their own conviction about what would promote their well-being.
The statement advised the electorate to abide by the regulations guiding the election as defined by the EC, stressing, “Discipline and self-comportment are required by all to ensure peaceful election.”
“Ensuring peaceful election is everybody's business and therefore, each individual, organisation or group must first think about their role in this regard rather than blaming others. Various institutions, structures and individuals must work diligently towards peaceful election. The utterances, actions or inactions of just one group, body or individual can mar the peace and set back the development process,” it stated.
