Youth leaders of political parties in the Central Region have pledged their commitment to breaking the emerging cycle of electoral violence, tension, and apprehension before, during, and after general election in the country.
They affirmed their readiness to adhere to the counsel to uphold national peace, unity and harmony in the run-up to the December polls.
Representatives of three political parties – New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) made the affirmation at a day’s dialogue on ‘Ensuring a Violent Free Ghana, Before, During and After 2020 Elections in Ghana: The Role of the Youth’, by the youth and other stakeholders in Cape Coast.
The meeting, organised by the Central Regional office of the National Youth Authority (NYA) brought together key stakeholders including traditional authorities, religious leaders, political parties and selected youth from across the region to discuss ways to prevent violence through vigilantism ahead of this year’s general election.
Frank Asmah, the NDC representative, appealed to political parties to refrain from campaigning on ethnic and tribal lines as it tended to cause division among the people and cautioned fellow political parties to watch their utterances as it was a powerful weapon that could either make or break the fortunes of a nation.
Anthony Sackey, the Regional Youth Organiser of NPP, called on stakeholders to undertake constructive engagements to arrive at practicable, pragmatic, and workable solutions on how to break cycle of violence in recent times and ensure peace.
Abdul Coffie, the PPP representative, urged all political parties to abide by political codes of conduct and peace pacts they had endorsed to ensure peace, unity and harmony in the country and entreated the youth not to plunge the country into situation where resources invested in elections would go waste.
Nana Kwesi Egyir II, Nyimfahen of Oguaa Traditional Area, entreated the youth and all other stakeholders to be law-abiding and not to indulge in any activity that would cause fear and panic before, during and after the upcoming elections.
He urged all the political parties to keep their word of upholding and ensuring that peace prevailed in the society for accelerated growth and development. -myjoyonline.com
