As Ghana goes to the polls on Saturday, political parties have been urged to accept the outcome of the elections in good faith in order to enhance the peace and security of the country.
While political parties that may emerge as eventually winners of the general election have been advised to be measured in their celebration, those that may emerge losers have also been urged to accept their lose in good faith.
According to the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Reverend Professor Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, accepting the outcome of the elections by political parties was a sign of maturity on their part as well as the country’s democratic governance.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra yesterday, Most Reverend Professor Asamoah-Gyadu said, “In an election, one will end up a winner, and the other will end up a loser. So, if you win, celebrate the win but be measured with it. If you lose and want to contest it, use the laid-out procedures, and be prepared to accept the outcome.”
He also bemoaned the lack of trust that the citizenry and political parties had in institutions such as the Electoral Commission (EC) and the security services mandated to supervise the elections.
Most Reverend Professor Asamoah-Gyadu, further said that he believed in the competence of the EC and other state actors to conduct a free and fair election, and therefore, urged the citizenry to also have the same level of trust in the EC and other state actors to ensure a peaceful elections.
That notwithstanding, the Presiding Bishop then urged the EC and other state actors to be transparent and collaborate with the political parties during the electioneering process to win the trust of the citizenry.
Moreover, Most Reverend Professor Asamoah-Gyadu pleaded with the citizenry to desist from any act of political violence, saying, “We must be mindful of the fact that what unites us is our common humanity. Let us remember that political affiliation should not under any circumstances make us each other’s enemies.”
He also advised the youth to resist any attempt by political leaders to exploit their challenges in life to influence them to toe the path of violence.
“There are a lot of young people who I know unfortunately may be unemployed, and sometimes our political leaders have exploited their frustration for their own selfish interest. I implore the young people not to allow any political leader to influence you to choose the path of violence because that can put your own faith into jeopardy,” Most Reverend Professor Asamoah-Gyadu stated.
He also urged the media to be circumspect in their reportage when reporting on the elections by editing any comment that may put the peace and security of the country into jeopardy.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
