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Media urged to help consolidate
democracy
Koforidua, Aug. 11, Ghanadot/GNA -
Mr Emmanuel Quaye-Sowah, Eastern Regional Director of
National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), has reminded
the media of their role to consolidate democracy to ensure
peaceful Election 2008.
He said the media could use their gate keeping role “to
black out” any inflammatory speech or issue on a political
platform likely to inflame passions in the run up to the
elections.
“Election 2008 has been reduced to a straight contest of
regaining power and retaining power. As educators we are to
educate and guide players in the contest and devise
strategies to prevent chaos,” he said.
Mr Quaye-Sowah was speaking at a forum with media
practitioners in Koforidua on Monday to sensitize the media
and public to ensure peaceful and violence free elections.
He explained that the role of NCCE was to educate people on
their civic responsibilities and rights and the media’s role
to inform the public had a point of convergence hence the
forum to map up strategies with the media for violence free
election in the Region.
Mr Quaye-Sowah observed that Ghana had conducted four
successive elections and was expected to undertake the
December 7 polls without any setback but ugly developments
from the registration exercise called for concern.
He said from all indications this years’ election would be
of the deepest anxieties “since the two dominant political
parties by the grace of the sovereign will of the people
have a good bite of the political pudding”.
Mr Quaye-Sowah therefore stressed the need for stakeholders
in Election 2008 to use the 1992 Constitution as the best
reference in any endeavour so that its provisions guide them
to conduct their activities in an acceptable manner.
He said NCCE’s interest was to guide political parties to
adhere to provisions in the constitution and denied that
NCCE had conducted a poll on the elections.
Mr Quaye-Sowah explained that it was a survey on issues of
concern to the electorate that had been blown out of
proportion to misrepresent the NCCE.
He said as part of its mandate, NCCE periodically carried
out surveys on issues to enable them strategies and cited
the issue of child labour on cocoa farms.
GNA
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