The Committee is also expected to serve as a forum for political parties, stakeholders, and citizens to discuss electoral issues, promote tolerance, and resolve any potential conflicts in the Odododiodoo Constituency.
It includes representatives of political parties, the Electoral Commission (EC), Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), religious leaders, traditional authorities, Persons with Disabilities, police, women and youth groups and the media.
The Committee is chaired by Mr. Godwin Ayikpa, a member of the EC, who would be aided by Mr. Benjamin Adams, a Pastor of the Kingdomite Church.
Speaking at the Committee’s inauguration in Accra over the weekend, Mr. Gabriel Bekoe Ofori, Assistant Director of NCCE at Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metro, said the IPDC was a flagbearership programme instituted by the Commission as a proactive measure to ensure peaceful elections in the country.
He said the country had staged eight successful elections over the years, earning it the title of “beacon of democracy in Africa.”
Mr. Ofori noted that, despite Ghana’s democratic progress, the country still struggled to hold “violent free” elections, with eight people killed in the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.
He stressed that, with the 2024 election only a few months away, tensions had risen, needing immediate action to defuse or reduce them before they escalated.
Mr. Ofori explained that the inauguration of the IPDC was the NCCE’s proactive attempt to prevent violent acts before, during, and after the elections.
“NCCE hopes that members of the IPDC will work hard to maintain the peace before, during and after the 2024 general election,” he stressed.
Mr. Stanley Quaynor, Accra Metro Director, NCCE, noted that past events, including the 2020 election deaths, had put the Odododiodoo Constituency in a situation which required hard work to restore.
At least, two people died in the constituency during the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.
“There are a lot of eyes on Odododiodoo Constituency because of what happened in 2020,” Mr. Quaynor said, tasking the committee to work to ensure the name of the constituency was “written in gold.”
He also noted that many Ghanaians had lost interest in elections because of current and past economic situations, urging the committee to encourage the citizens to participate and vote on election day.
Mrs. Gloria Amarki Kudo, Deputy Regional Director, NCCE, stressed the need of Ghanaians coexisting as one people despite religious and ethnic divides, saying that that was the only way the country could keep its present peace and development.
Ahead of the 2024 elections, she warned the political class to be mindful of their words, particularly religious prejudice, since they could incite anger and chaos.
Madam Mercy Odoi, Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metro Director, asked the political parties to play by the laid down rules, desist from defacing each other’s posters to ensure harmony.
“Political party is not about war, or rivalry, it is about exchange of ideas,” she explained.
She also tasked the committee to work hard to reduce the tension that characterised elections in the Odododiodoo Constituency and ensure peace and harmony before, during and after the December polls.
Mr. Benjamin Adams, Vice Chair of the IPDC, assured of the committee’s readiness to the task ahead, saying: “We won’t disappoint you.”
He admonished members of the committee to always avail themselves for meetings of the committee to ensure that objectives were met.
GNA
