Tema West NCCE launches Inter-Party Dialogue Committee

The Tema West Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has inaugurated an Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) to oversee the activities of the political parties for the 2020 General Election.

The committee, which brought together election stakeholders such as the Police, political parties, Electoral Commission (EC), has the duty of guiding the political parties through the electioneering process such that they would avoid the path of violence.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the inauguration, the Tema West Municipal Director of NCCE, Mr. Fidel Bortey, informed that as part of their duties “the committee would monitor the activities of the political parties so they remained within the political party code of conduct.”

Mr. Bortey said this would help Ghana to maintain peace before, during and after the elections because the political parties would be adequately guided in their conduct in order for them to avoid the path of violence.

Mr. Bortey advised Ghanaians to understand there is only one Ghana and that the consequences of war on other nations in the sub-region are there for all to see and take a clue from.

He asked the political parties to sell out their messages to the people so they make informed decisions. “Don’t be promoting hooliganism and conflict. Let’s ensure that we all have a free, fair and violent-free elections. Elections are just a process, once it is gone we are all Ghanaians, so we should make sure we protect the peace.”

The Baatsona District Commander of Police, DSP James Asiedu, in his address, said the Ghanaian democracy had advanced with all challenges addressed, “and so it gives nobody any basis to stage violence during elections.”

DSP Asiedu also informed that the legal regime now had also made it easy for electoral offenders to be dealt with by the courts.

“In previous times we were largely depending on electoral laws and that required that you forward whatever case docket you had to the attorney general for approval before you can prosecute. Now majority of the electoral offences can be grouped under the vigilante offences, and implementing vigilante laws is not difficult…and comes with stiffer punishment,” he informed.

He advised Ghanaians therefore to ensure they did not lose the peace and freedom they had by offending the law, for it was when one got themselves behind bars that one would appreciate what freedom was.

“None of the political parties would like to be smeared with any wrong doing, so if you do anything wrong, thinking that you are doing it in favor of your political party, when the problem comes and you are being dealt with, the parties would distance themselves from you. Should be mindful of all these and comply with the laws of that guides elections,” DSP Asiedu stressed.