|
News
Page
In This Issue...Links to the News:
March 11, 2016
President Kufuor favors "dialogue
and due process" for resolving
disputes
Accra, Oct. 6,
Ghanadot/GNA - President John Agyekum
Kufuor has urged contesting political parties in the
December 7 polls, to choose dialogue and due process as
preferred options for settling and resolving all disputes.
"Instead of individuals and groups taking the law into their
own hands, let us take full advantage of our institutions of
governance to protect the integrity of the elections."
He drew attention to wars and civil strife, which plagued
the sub-region and other parts of Africa as a result of
flawed elections and said "the wars brought no benefits to
any of the warring factions, but rather unleashed untold
hardship on the generality of the people."
The most important lesson taught by those conflicts and wars
was that it was only when the mayhem ended and dialogue
began that progress was ever made on the critical issues of
national concern.
President Kufuor was speaking at a national
interdenominational thanksgiving service held to climax a
weeklong prayer and fasting by the country's Christians to
seek God's favour for peaceful and credible election.
Vice President Aliu Mahama, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr
Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi-Huges, Chief Justice Georgina
Theodora Wood, Ministers of State and Parliamentarians were
among the high profile personalities present.
Also there were some presidential candidates of the
political parties including Mr Dan Lartey of the Great
Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom,
Convention People's Party (CPP) and Professor John Evans
Atta-Mills, National Democratic Congress (NDC).
"Seek the Peace and Prosperity of the Nation" was the theme
for the service put together by the Government in
collaboration with the Christian Churches.
President Kufuor said it was important for Ghanaians to have
confidence in themselves, noting that since 1992, the nation
had gone through democratic elections four times and that
the citizenry had ensured success of the process through
responsible conduct.
"This year's election is yet another occasion, to prove to
ourselves that we can do it."
"After all the sacrifices, we have made to bring this nation
to the threshold of a major economic breakthrough,
especially in the wake of the discovery of oil in commercial
quantities, we should take only the right decisions that
will ensure peace and stability of our dear country, Ghana,
and help us to sustain the progress we are making."
He asked politicians to ensure that their words and actions
promote peace and harmony, and a sense of fellow feeling and
goodwill in the society even during the time of intense
competition between them.
"After all, the objective of governance is to seek the
well-being of the citizenry" adding that, any acts of
omission and commission by any political party, group or
individuals, likely to undermine the peace and stability of
the nation should be rejected during the entire process of
the election.
The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Right
Reverend Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, in a sermon cautioned those
yearning to throw the country into confusion and bloodshed
to be careful not to attract the wrath of God on themselves
by being obstacles to peace.
"We have fasted and prayed and are confident that God will
answer our prayers."
He again advised social commentators, the media and
supporters of the political parties to be more circumspect
in their utterances and reportage, saying, "We should all
speak peace and seek the well-being of Ghana by allowing the
thumb of the eligible voters to decide on who should be our
leaders".
GNA
|
