The Ghana Trade Union Congress (TUC) said its comments stem from the continuous flashes of political and chieftaincy violence, destruction of life and property that had characterized campaigns in parts of the country. It also added the intolerant and blatant inflammatory language by leading politicians and the "apparent inability" of the electoral administrator to carry out its basic function raises doubt about its capabilities.

"Ghana TUC accordingly demands that the Electoral Commission, as a matter of national emergency, puts its act together within the remaining weeks before December 2008, so as to assure credible, free and fair elections, which will guarantee the peace of our dear country," Kofi Asamoah, Secretary-General of the TUC said in Accra.

He added: "If the Electoral Commission requires more resources it should be bold to request same of government. It cannot proclaim that it has been given all it needs and yet fail to have adequate logistics to carry out its functions when expected to do so. In particular, the National Electoral Commission must take urgent and necessary steps to clean the bloated voters' register before December to assure Ghanaians a free and fair election."

Demands

The TUC also demanded that competing political parties and their presidential candidates should exhibit political soberness and maturity, and to debate their vision of the future of Ghana and "concrete" policy alternatives that could transform the economy out of poverty into middle income status.

It called on political parties not only to pontificate about peace and rightly condemn violence by their opponents, but also to be bold to publicly condemn their members who engage in acts of violence and to ostracize them from their ranks to send a message that violence would not be tolerated.

"What we will not accept is the politics of insults and personality attacks and least of all any incitement to violence or violence, and it is not, in our view, sufficient simply to preach and pray for peace in public, when we fail to carry out the practical actions that alone can guarantee peaceful free and fair elections,” Asamoah said.

They also called on the security agencies, especially the police service to be "up and doing" and to arrest persons or groups that engaged in acts of violence without fear or favour and irrespective of political colour for such miscreants to be prosecuted.

"This will assure Ghanaians from all walks of life that our state institutions are making a clear and decisive break from the culture of impunity and that those who disturb the peace of Ghanaians will know no peace," he said.

An appeal

He appealed to the Attorney-General's Department to act swiftly in prosecuting cases of political and chieftaincy violence to deter people from such acts, irrespective of the political affiliation of such people.
"Ghana and her peace and security are far more important than any short term political or electoral advantage.”

Mr. Asamoah also called on the judiciary to establish speedy and effective mechanisms to deal with cases of electoral violence during the run-up to the December polls to deter those who may be misled into disturbing the peace in the country.

He asked the media to take political party leaders, presidential aspirants, the Inspector-General of Police, Attorney-General and Chairman of the Electoral Commission to task on the deteriorating situation leading up to the elections.