Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country have been charged to, irrespective of financial constraints facing them in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, work to maintain the peace in the country during and after the 2020 elections.
At a program organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) in Accra, the CSOs were tasked to ensure that Ghana’s position as the 3rd most peaceful country in Africa is maintained.
The program hinged on the theme: “CSOs and Democratic Elections in Ghana: The 2020 Election in Focus” was organized to analyze the perspective CSOs will bring to shape the conduct of a free, fair and transparent elections.
It was also to review the growing challenges confronting CSOs in performing their democracy enhancing roles and to consolidate the relationship between MoPA and CSOs to deepen democratic governance.
Participants were drawn from the Leadership of Parliament, Democracy-Enhancing Civil Society Organisations including; the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and Youth Bridge Foundation, Members of the Advisory Board, as well as Management and staff of MoPA and the media.
The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu indicated that whether there is Covid-19 or not, elections are approaching and Ghanaians must prepare towards it.
He indicated that the stakes in this year’s elections are very high since it is the first-time a former President is contesting a sitting President and all three arms of government would suffer the consequences of any act of violence.
He said he is oblivious of the fact that lack of funding has impacted negatively on CSOs advocacy activities but no stone should be left unturned in making sure that the peace in the country is maintained.
He charged Ghanaians to support CSOs to undertake their advocacy and other activities that would help ensure peace at the polls.
“Let’s support them to help reduce fear and panic that’s being spread across the country so that we can all live peaceful before, during and after the elections.”
He also advised the CSO’s to be guided by the issues of elections instead of focusing and talking about issues that are not elections and are likely to spark conflict.
The Ranking Member of Parliaments Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, MrInusahFuseni, who represented the Minority Leader also, indicated that “no political party can maintain the peace and stability of the country better than CSOs, hence they should not be taken for granted.”
He said CSOs have become very integral to the consolidation of democracy by virtue of their contribution to the shaping of public discourse, contribution to the crafting of policies and programmes and generally serving as an important countervailing force against the overbearing powers of the executive and other institutions of state and must not be joked with.
He beckoned on the various CSOs in the country, whose activities are in line with politics, to use the scarce resources at their disposal for the welfare of this country.
Dr Kwesi Jonah, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), an independent not-for-profit policy and research advocacy organisation admitted that most CSOs, including his institute, have cut down and halted most their activities due to insufficient funding caused by the Covid-19.
Irrespective of this hardship, they will still do their best to ensure that the peace in this country is maintained.
“This is the time the peace we have been preaching for a very long time will be tested so we will do all we can to ensure that that peace persists in this country”.
The post CSOs charged to ensure violence-free elections appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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