Ghana Votes

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Contribute towards electoral reforms — NCCE boss

The chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Charlotte Osei, has added her voice to the call for all stakeholders to contribute their quota towards any kind of reforms that will ensure that the nation's next election would be devoid of any hiccups.

According to the NCCE chairperson, the call for reforms in the nation's electoral laws was not a bad idea since every election could bring about one reform or the other, which in the long run strengthens the nation's electoral system.

Responding to a question at a stakeholders meeting on election dispute at Agogo in the Asante Akim North District, Mrs Osei said although the 2012 election petitioners had a good case, their inability to support their case with enough evidence led to the case being dismissed by the court.

She said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost the landmark Supreme Court verdict due to lack of evidence.

The stakeholders meeting was organised by the NCCE in collaboration with the European Union and STAR Ghana. It was aimed at sensitising the people to the need to maintain and protect the peace in the country after the court had given its jugdement on the landmark case.

The stakeholders were made up of representatives of the various political parties in the country, traditional authorities, social and faith-based groups, among others.

The Supreme Court of the country on August 29, 2013 dismissed a petition brought before it by the presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his running mate, Dr Mahmoud Bawumia, and the party's chairman,  Mr Jake Obestebi Lamptey.

This led to a seeming tension in the country, especially in the stronghold of the NPP, but the acceptance of the judgement by the petitioner brought about peace in the long run.

Mrs Osei commended chiefs in the country for their roles in ensuring peace right from the commencement of the case till the judgement was given, saying but for the role chiefs in the various communities played, most youth could have indulged in one form of violence or another.

The Konongo Divisional Commander of Police, Chief Supt Alex K. Amenyo, commended all Ghanaians, especially the people of the Agogo area, for the way they comported themselves before, during and after the announcement of the judgement and challenged them to continue living in peace the same way.

He assured the people that the police would continue to work hand in hand with the citizens to ensure that peace prevailed at all times in the country and urged the people to volunteer information to the police about bad people to enable them to investigate and apprehend such people.

The Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of NCCE, Mr Paul Larbi, said the recent petition hearing had deepened the nation's democracy and urged all to work towards ensuring total development in the country.

He said there was the need for the peace in the nation to be protected at all cost and challenged all to think about the nation first at all times instead of seeking their selfish interests, which would go a long way to affect the total development of the nation.

The Paramount Chief of Domeabrah, Nana Frimpong Afoakwah, who chaired the function, called on the NCCE to intensify its public education to the remotest parts of the country to ensure that people did not take advantage of them and misinform them on issues which could lead to conflict in the country.

Source: Daily Graphic

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