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The Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Major General Richard Addo Gyane, has called on stakeholders to work together in a free and fair manner to maintain the peace and security of the country during the December general election.
He said the Electoral Commission (EC), political parties, security services, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and other stakeholders must put their best foot forward to ensure that the peace Ghana had enjoyed in the Fourth Republic was preserved.
Maj. Gen. Gyane was speaking at a half-day seminar for stakeholders at the Burma Camp in Accra last Sunday.
The seminar was on the theme: "The Role of the Security Agencies, Civil Society Organisations, Electoral Commission and the Religious Community in Safeguarding the Peace, Enhancing Security, and Ensuring a Peaceful 2024 General Elections in Ghana".
Also in attendance were Senior Directing Staff at the National College of Defence Studies, Brigadier General Fred Ntiri who moderated the seminar; the Director of Electoral Service at the Electoral Commission, Dr Serebour Quaicoe; the Deputy Chairman of General Services at the NCCE, Victor Brobbey (Esq); the Director of Security Secretariat - Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Victoria Yamoah and Dr Victor Doke, a Lecturer at the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research (FAAR) - KAIPTC.
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The participants
The Commandant of the KAIPTC also urged Ghanaians, especially the electorate to take responsibility and conduct themselves lawfully by contributing to ensure peace after the December presidential and parliamentary elections.
Dr Quaicoe urged Ghanaians to be law-abiding and follow the relevant directives for the upcoming limited registration exercise scheduled to start in May this year. He encouraged qualified Ghanaians to take advantage of the process to have their names enrolled in the electoral register.
On digital voting, he said, although some people were making a case for it, its security and credibility could not be assured. He said advanced countries such as the United States, which had used this system, has had serious challenges and were currently considering reverting to polling booths.
He urged the media to take the initiative to cross-check information that had to do with the elections, especially those that concerned the EC, before publication to avoid misleading Ghanaians or inciting the public against the EC.
That, according to him, would help Ghanaians to partner the EC to conduct a very credible and transparent election devoid of any untoward development. Dr Quaicoe gave an assurance that the EC was working together with all stakeholders to ensure a transparent and credible election for the maintenance of Ghana's peace and security.
During the plenary session, Mr Brobbey said the NCCE would continue to educate Ghanaians on the electoral process and the need for peace. For her part, Mrs Yamoah said the police service was taking the necessary steps to ensure that maximum security was provided in collaboration with the other security services to ensure free, fair and violence-free elections.
She urged the public to be vigilant and take up their role as concerned citizens to report activities that could jeopardise the country's security before, during and after the elections.
