[ 2012-04-23 ]

Peace Council, political parties confer
The National Peace Council (NPC) has met with
representatives of political parties to determine
possible threats to the upcoming elections and
also develop strategies to help address these
threats.

The meeting comes on the heels of controversies
that have surrounded the on-going biometric
registration exercise which has often resulted in
violence.

Notable among them was the issue of ordinary
resident registration which has become a source of
conflict at many registration centres as some
people are physically prevented from registering
because they do not reside in the vicinity of the
registration centre.

The parties also complained about inadequate
information on when and where a particular area is
due to register as well as limited registration
centres as compared to the huge numbers of polling
stations.

The absence of security personnel at some centres,
quality of the voter’s ID card as well as the lack
of materials such as challenge forms at some
centres were also mentioned.

Nana Dr. S. K. B. Asante, a member of the NPC
cited the ‘winner takes all’ mentality as the
reason for the heightened tension.

He opined, the country must modify and employ what
he called, ‘proportional representation’ to enable
more parties owe a stake in the running of the
country.

The Chairman of the NPC, Most Rev. Prof Emmanuel
Asante, explained the crafting of political
manifestos indicated the willingness of party
leaders to govern a united country while achieving
articulated programmes in a peaceful national
environment.

He said however that no development was attainable
in a conflict situation and urged political
parties to use the campaign period to market their
‘political goods’ in the form realistic
manifestoes to the people whose mandate they
seek.

Political parties represented at the meeting
included the Progressive People’s Party (PPP),
People’s National Congress (PNC), Democratic
People’s Party (DPP), Great Consolidated Popular
Party (GCPP) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The UNDP and the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic
Council were also represented.

Source - Joy News Television

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