Kathleen Addy, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has said the world must not come to an end for supporters of the defeated candidate in the forthcoming general election.
According to her, one candidate is going to emerge as the winner after the elections, urging Ghanaians to come together and focus on developing the country for the benefit of all the citizens.
She cautioned against extreme partisanship, which breeds tension amongst supporters during electioneering campaigns.
Ms Addy made the call during the 5th national dialogue on preventing and containing violent extremism in Nealerigu in the North-East Region on Wednesday.
The NCCE Chairperson underscored that extreme partisanship was eroding bipartisan collaboration for national development.
“It is important to look past our political leanings and focus on what can be done together to keep the nation together and develop it for the benefit of all”.
Moreover, Ms Addy stated that whilst everyone has the inherent right to belong to a political party, it is inappropriate for individuals to be intolerant of the political views of others in opposing parties.
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She maintained that violent extremism thrived in areas where there were disagreements and conflicts, adding that “extremists often take advantage of where there are disagreements to deepen the conflict for their parochial interests”.
The NCCE Chairperson, therefore, used the occasion to caution the youth against being used to create tension in the country. She emphasized that, despite the economic difficulties, the public, including the youth, should contribute to maintaining peace in the nation.
Vote buying an affront to democracy
Meanwhile, Ms Addy has expressed grave concerns about the increased levels of monetisation in Ghana’s body politic.
According to her, public office seekers buying votes is an affront to Ghana’s democratic governance.
“Aspirants giving out amounts of money and other items to secure the votes of the electorate during an election sometimes after a request has been made by the voter is an affront to the democracy we have set out to practise,” she said.
Ms. Addy stated that if voters were to base their decisions on who offered the most money, they might not end up electing the candidate who could genuinely serve their interests.
“Let us move a step further and go beyond the money, and rather look at policies and programmes, as well as the messages political parties put on the table and select the best option for the nation,” Ms Addy said.
She explained that the exchange of large sums of money for votes during elections was detrimental to the country’s democratic governance and should be promptly addressed for the nation’s benefit.
