EC asked to resolve controversial issues
A former Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Rev Dr Joyce Aryee, has challenged the Electoral Commission (EC) to resolve all outstanding controversial electoral rows which have the propensity to create conflict.
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She said personally, she would have preferred a new voters register but since the committee set up by the EC recommended a validation of the existing one, the commission should act fast to satisfy the process to calm nerves before the November 7 polls.
Occasion
The former Secretary of Information under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) regime, who was speaking at the launch of the Students Representative Council (SRC) Week of the School of Technology of the University of Education, Kumasi campus, urged the EC to try as much as possible to help reduce or minimise the controversy over the register before the polls.
The SRC Week is being celebrated by 2,000 students, on the theme ‘Ensuring violent-free elections; the role of the COLTEK (College of Technology) students.
Emotions
While urging Ghanaians, especially the youth not to be partisan about the electoral process, he cautioned that it should be devoid of emotions since ‘emotions are unreliable’ and could create conflict.
“…. The truth is that any citizen who has the interest of Ghana in mind and at heart will not resort to violence as a solution for any issues of national importance,” she said.
Election
Ms Aryee, who also doubles as the Executive Director, Salt and Light Ministries, said this year’s election was important but it was not more important than any other elections that had been held in the country.
She said the importance of peaceful elections in the consolidation of democracy, which is the bedrock for economic and social transformation and prosperity, must motivate all especially, the youth.
She said social, political and economic tension must be monitored and managed so that the electoral process could help lay the foundation for sustained good governance.
She said mostly, the neglect of the needs of the African youth, including poverty and lack of basic necessities, of life as a result of unemployment, had led to the manipulation of many youth to foment violence.
She insisted that since the youth constituted a large constituency of the entire voting population, it was dangerous for them to be kept on the periphery so they should be engaged in the political discourse.
Proposal
Ms Aryee proposed a number of measures to help students reject violence during the elections which included educating oneself on the electoral process and rejecting unsubstantiated allegations and propaganda.