Given the recent violent clashes that occurred between supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections, the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) has educating voters on political tolerance, Joyce Afutu, Corporate Communications Director for the NCCE, has said.
According to her, the electorate will have to note that the 1992 constitution that made room for multi-party democracy frowns upon electoral violence, hence the need to respect each other’s opinions.
Speaking in an interview with Accra News on Wednesday November 23 in connection with the NCCE’s activities of educating the public ahead of the elections, Ms Afutu said: “We (NCCE) are educating the public on political tolerance. The 1992 constitution makes room for a multi-party democracy and also gives every political party the room to operate and so we need to educate them on what the constitution says regarding elections in Ghana.”
She added: “The recent clashes that occurred between supporters of the NPP and the NDC should not have happened. That is not what the constitution purposed. Every party has the right to make its policies known to Ghanaians and so there is the need to tolerate each other. We urge people to put aside violence ahead of the elections. Violence is not part of the electoral process.”
Ms Afutu further urged the security agencies to be up and doing in dealing with trouble makers in the elections.
