Bishops bemoan election violence
By Damian Avevor and Mary Antwiwaa Obeng
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), has bemoaned the sudden upsurge in election-related violence and called on all political leaders, activists and supporters to refrain from such misconduct.
In the run-up to the 2016 Elections, the Bishops said efforts must be made avoid political activities degenerating into chaos and violence.
They lamented that inter-party and intra-party violence were threatening Ghana’s peace and democracy, saying that these happenings do not reflect the peaceful and non-violent nature of Ghanaians.
In a 10-page Communique issued at the end of their 10-day Plenary Assembly at Bolgatanga from November 5 to 14, 2015, the Bishops urged politicians to beware of their pronouncements and activities, believing in the ability of the security agencies to deal swiftly with all reported cases without fear or favour.
“We consider chieftaincy as a noble legacy of our traditions and cultures and expect our Chiefs to be fathers to all their subjects, irrespective of the latter’s political affiliations, religious beliefs and economic standing.”
“Chiefs who feel that their vocation lies in active politics can always give up their official traditional position to do partisan politics as the Constitution of Ghana demands. That is why we condemn in no uncertain terms the involvement of some chiefs in partisan politics and call on them to respect the laws of the land and refrain from such acts,” the Communique added.
The Bishops also condemned the phenomenon of vote-buying and occultism creeping into our national politics, where voters were induced to swear to vote in a particular way, and call on politicians and the Ghanaian electorates to desist from such acts.
On the Voters’ Register and the call for its replacement or revision, “we wish to commend the Electoral Commission (EC) for some of the steps it has taken so far to involve all major stakeholders in finding an acceptable solution to the issue.”
“We reiterate our call that all who are involved in this process must be open, honest and truthful in their approach to this exercise. At the same time, the EC must be given the chance and the space to handle the issue dispassionately and objectively in the best interest of the nation.”
“According to our Electoral Laws, minors and foreigners should not register for electoral purposes in Ghana. We also propose that for the sake of transparency, the Electoral Commission display the current Voters’ Register on its website so that all Ghanaians can check the list of voters and know where their names are located.”
To ensure a credible Voters’ Register for future elections, the Bishops asked that the National Identification Authority (NIA) be resourced to deliver on its mandate to register all persons, Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians, living in the country and to compile a reliable database which could be used by the Electoral Commission to compile a credible Voters’ Register.
“At the same time, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), must also be adequately resourced with personnel and logistics to educate the citizenry on the rights and requirements of voters. We cannot repeat enough our call for an early release of the programme for the upcoming elections which must be the product of the consultations of all stakeholders including the political parties themselves.”
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), has bemoaned the sudden upsurge in election-related violence and called on all political leaders, activists and supporters to refrain from such misconduct.
In the run-up to the 2016 Elections, the Bishops said efforts must be made avoid political activities degenerating into chaos and violence.
They lamented that inter-party and intra-party violence were threatening Ghana’s peace and democracy, saying that these happenings do not reflect the peaceful and non-violent nature of Ghanaians.
In a 10-page Communique issued at the end of their 10-day Plenary Assembly at Bolgatanga from November 5 to 14, 2015, the Bishops urged politicians to beware of their pronouncements and activities, believing in the ability of the security agencies to deal swiftly with all reported cases without fear or favour.
“We consider chieftaincy as a noble legacy of our traditions and cultures and expect our Chiefs to be fathers to all their subjects, irrespective of the latter’s political affiliations, religious beliefs and economic standing.”
“Chiefs who feel that their vocation lies in active politics can always give up their official traditional position to do partisan politics as the Constitution of Ghana demands. That is why we condemn in no uncertain terms the involvement of some chiefs in partisan politics and call on them to respect the laws of the land and refrain from such acts,” the Communique added.
The Bishops also condemned the phenomenon of vote-buying and occultism creeping into our national politics, where voters were induced to swear to vote in a particular way, and call on politicians and the Ghanaian electorates to desist from such acts.
On the Voters’ Register and the call for its replacement or revision, “we wish to commend the Electoral Commission (EC) for some of the steps it has taken so far to involve all major stakeholders in finding an acceptable solution to the issue.”
“We reiterate our call that all who are involved in this process must be open, honest and truthful in their approach to this exercise. At the same time, the EC must be given the chance and the space to handle the issue dispassionately and objectively in the best interest of the nation.”
“According to our Electoral Laws, minors and foreigners should not register for electoral purposes in Ghana. We also propose that for the sake of transparency, the Electoral Commission display the current Voters’ Register on its website so that all Ghanaians can check the list of voters and know where their names are located.”
To ensure a credible Voters’ Register for future elections, the Bishops asked that the National Identification Authority (NIA) be resourced to deliver on its mandate to register all persons, Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians, living in the country and to compile a reliable database which could be used by the Electoral Commission to compile a credible Voters’ Register.
“At the same time, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), must also be adequately resourced with personnel and logistics to educate the citizenry on the rights and requirements of voters. We cannot repeat enough our call for an early release of the programme for the upcoming elections which must be the product of the consultations of all stakeholders including the political parties themselves.”
