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NCCE cautions political neutrality for chiefs
Accra, April 22, GhanadotGNA – Mr Laary
Bimi, Chairman of the National Commission of Civic Education
(NCCE) on Tuesday said chiefs should respect the
Constitution and refrain from making political
pronouncements openly which the 1992 Constitution frowns on.
The NCCE chairman noted that the recent development where
some chiefs were openly dabbling in active partisan
politicks was a recipe for disaster and must be stopped
immediately
"Any chief who is interested in active politics must do the
honourable thing by renouncing the chieftaincy title and
join the political party" of his or her choice.
Speaking at the launching of activities earmarked for the
8th National Constitution Week, Mr Bimi appealed to chiefs
to stay out of active partisan politics but if they felt
strongly “to actively get involved then let us move for the
amendment of the Constitutional provisional debarring chiefs
from active politics."
Mr. Bimi cautioned politicians against allowing the euphoria
of political rallies to tempt them in making wild statements
that they could not substantiate.
He asked the Media not to act as public relations officers
of their parties in their reportage but he assed; "You must
not undress in public and wish that the Media will cover
your nakedness".
Mrs. Augustina Akosua Akumanyi, NCCE Deputy Commissioner
in-charge of Administration said NCCE, in collaboration with
the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Institute of Economic
Affairs (IEA) have initiated moves to come out with the Code
of Conduct for Political Parties contesting Election 2008.
The code would be out-doored on May 4 this year after the
review meeting of Election 2004 Political Parties Code of
Conduct by the various political stakeholders, including all
the political parties, EC, NCCE, IEA and other democratic
institutions was completed.
Mrs. Akumanyi said the process involved measures to ensure
that this year's general election were free from
intimidation and political antagonism.
She said the Commission would use the Constitution to
intensify education on the Public Order Act and the
Political Parties Act to ensure that acts of intimidation
and provocation, the use of insulting language and violence,
were not repeated during the process leading to the general
election.
The code, according to Mr Bimi would enjoin all parties and
their agents to avoid defamatory, derogatory and insulting
attacks on rival parties or individual personalities by any
form of communication, written or verbal.
Mr. Bimi urged all political leaders to tolerate and respect
the rights and freedoms of other political parties to
disseminate their manifestos without intimidation and
violence and respect the electorate and other members by
addressing them in decent, civil and truthful language.
Political parties should educate their followers to conduct
themselves in civil and morally acceptable manner, educate
their rank and file on existing electoral laws, rules and
regulations and avoid gender, ethnic or religious derogatory
remarks, he emphasised.
GNA
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