Let it be Peaceful (Spread)

December 24, 2008

AS the country prepares for a decisive presidential run-off on December 28, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, has reminded Ghanaians of their responsibility to ensure a peaceful and united Ghana.
The Information Minister said it behoved the two contesting political parties in the run-off to also ensure that Ghanaians remained as one people with a common destiny after a winner had finally been chosen.
“We need our collective energies and resources to tackle the issues that confront our people. After Sunday, December 28, the team that gets the mandate of Ghanaians must immediately begin to build on our achievements as a nation and to address issues that will move our country to a higher level,” he pointed out.
Reading from the Holy Bible to support his statement at a post-election meet-the-press organised in Accra yesterday, Mr Asamoah Boateng said it was God’s way of reducing the tension in the country by making it fail to get a winner in the first round of voting.
He said Ghanaians should remember that the rest of the world was watching how the country would come out successfully and urged the people not to give a chance to the “devil to destroy what we have so far achieved”.
Mr Asamoah Boateng took the opportunity to challenge the people not to let politics divide them but rather live peacefully with one another, irrespective of their ethnic, political, social and religious background.
On the run-off, the minister called on the electorate to go out and vote, adding that, “the job before all Ghanaians is not complete. This Sunday, December 28, we have been called to duty again. By the rules of the election, the two leading contenders and their political parties which emerged from the first round elections are pitting their strength against each other again”.
He complained about the attitude of some influential members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to cause confusion in the country and mentioned a statement issued by the spokesperson and press secretary to Prof J.E.A Mills, Mr Koku Anyidoho, to the effect that his party was winning and will, therefore, not take any “nonsense” from the Electoral Commission (EC) and also warned the Chairman of the Commission to be careful even though the result had, at the time, just begun to come in.
Mr Asamoah Boateng also alleged that supporters of the NDC stormed the terminal of the Metro Mass Transit in Tamale to beat the drivers, as well as take the keys to the vehicles from them, attacked and burnt the rice farm belonging to the Nanton-Naa, as well as attacked the chief of Shama in the Western Region.
“In various parts of the country, supporters of the NDC had resorted to insults and hooting at anyone perceived as not being with them. It is important for the NDC to recognise that elections are not meant as avenue for hate, destruction and war. It is an expression by the electorate of how and which team they trust to govern the country for the next four years,” he stressed.
Mr Asamoah Boateng said he found it difficult to understand why the NDC was trying to convince Ghanaians that they won the first round election, knowing very well that the 49.13 per cent which the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, had was higher than the 47.92 per cent the NDC candidate, Prof J.E. Atta Mills, had.
“The government wishes to call on the leadership of the NDC to publicly affirm the commitment to the true spirit of democracy,” he stressed.
The minister said it was unfortunate that any recent move made by the agencies of the government was given political meaning and cited the measures taken to prevent pair trawling and also attempts by the judiciary to correct an earlier mistake it made by punishing some drivers wrongly.
The minister also touched on some irregularities which were recorded during the last elections and called on the EC to take action to safeguard the constitutional provisions governing elections in the country.
“Again there were reports of threats, intimidation and some EC officers compromising their discipline within close proximity of the polling centres. I wish to call on the security personnel at the various stations to fully assist in putting a stop to these electoral malpractices,” he stated.