Africa
By Anthony Isibor
THE political parties in Ghana have signed the Peace Pact ahead of the general elections on December 7, 2024, committing to ensure a peaceful election.
The signing of the Peace Pact, which has become one of the good practices of Ghana’s electoral process, is a symbolic gesture by the presidential candidates towards delivering a strong, clear, unambiguous and powerful message to party faithful, followers of candidates and the population at large that there is no place for violence in democratic elections.
“No place for guns, cutlasses, knives, stone throwing or beatings in elections.”
By signing of the document the candidates, and political parties have also undertaken a commitment to uphold the lofty principles of fair play, eschewing violence, allowing the electoral process to proceed uninterrupted and adhering to the rule of law in resolving any disputes that may arise from the elections.
Speaking at the signing ceremony on Thursday in Accra, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns in Africa and the Chairman of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan urged all the stakeholders to be committed and determined to ensure peaceful elections, non-violence and justice, which was the theme of the Peace Pact signing ceremony.
According to him, when the Heads of State of Africa adopted the Silencing the Guns Initiative, they sought through it to build an Africa at peace with itself and with the rest of the world.
“They were also desirous of bequeathing to present and future generations a peaceful continent which would put conflicts behind it to focus on urgent issues of underdevelopment, poverty, inequalities and the pressing and existential challenges of our time.”
Describing the pathway to peaceful elections, to credible elections to open, participative, inclusive elections, whose results no one can have justifiable cause to reject, Chambas said that Ghana is a shining example, from where several sister countries have, over the years, picked up many best practices of election management systems, technology, innovation, processes and procedures.
However, Chambas noted that a credible electoral process is a shared responsibility of every stakeholder.
“But let me emphasize that with just nine days to the elections of December 7, the weight of the burden has now shifted to the Electoral Commission, the Ghana Police Service and supporting security agencies, party and other political activists, the media and the judiciary.
“There can be no complacency. Ghana’s past successes are no guarantee or assurance of current or future performance. Nothing should be taken for granted. There should be no room for complacency.
“The EC must operate transparently to allay the concerns of its critics or skeptics. The security agencies must rise up to high professional standards, be neutral in their operations and act decisively against those who seek to disrupt the process without selectivity, fear or favour. The media, especially social media must avoid misinformation, disinformation, character assassination, fake news, rumours, etc. The judiciary is expected to ensure accountability and to deliver justice impartially and timeously. Two maxims come to play here: justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done; and justice delayed is justice denied.
“And party leaders and other political operatives or activists must avoid hate speech and actions likely to incite their followers to violence.
“In 2020, Ghana’s otherwise exemplary electoral record suffered a blemish with some deaths in a few constituencies.
“Once again, the opportunity is presented to prove that Ghana’s leadership role on the continent is deserved. That Ghana can deliver violence free elections.
“Already, the eyes of the world are on Ghana. Sub-regional, African and International Observers have already arrived for the elections. Let them go back and report about the peaceful, non-violence and exemplary elections they have observed in Ghana,’ he added.
Realnews reports that the signing of the peace pacts by candidates in elections has become a common practice across some African states due to the realization that one of the triggers of conflict across the continent has been poorly conducted elections.
A.I
Nov. 28, 2024
Tags: African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns in Africa Anthony Isibor AU Mohamed Ibn Chambas
