Representatives of political parties in Ghana have called on the government to establish a security task force for Election 2008 as a matter of priority. The force, the parties pointed out, should work in close collaboration with the Electoral Commission (EC) at the national, regional and district levels in dealing with electioneering issues. This was contained in a joint communiqué issued at the end of a two-day workshop to review the Political Parties Code of Conduct 2004 at Aburi on Sunday. The workshop, which also discussed pertinent issues towards Election 2008, was at the instance of the Institute of Economic Affairs, under its collaboration with the Netherlands Institute for Multi-party Democracy and the Ghana Political Parties Programme. It was under the auspices of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE). The parties were of the view that the use of law enforcement agencies and private security groups to intimidate electoral competitors and the electorate must cease. They said elections provided a test for social cohesion, which implied that all stakeholders ought to work together towards achieving peaceful elections. The parties were convinced that while the Political Parties Code of Conduct 2004 had served the country well in the areas of facilitating co-operation between political parties and the EC in resolving election related disputes, assisting law enforcement agencies in reducing election-related violence and educating the public, its enforcement mechanisms should be further developed and strengthened. They expressed their determination to use the lessons learnt from past elections to improve the processes leading to the forthcoming general election. They were also of the view that equal access to state resources, including the state-owned media, for electioneering purposes would go a long way in ensuring free and fair elections. The parties noted that the national enforcement body established under the Political Parties Code of Conduct 2004 should be activated and replicated at the regional and district levels. They also called for an Inter-Party Monitoring Committee designed to monitor and report breaches of the code to be set up and operationalised under the national enforcement body. They called on political parties and politicians to refrain from making inflammatory statements to avoid stirring up passions and generating public disaffection. According to the communique, public institutions, especially law enforcement agencies, should be strengthened by way of providing them with equipment, training and adequate funding to enable them to discharge their duties effectively and professionally. The NCCE, they also indicated, must be well resourced to undertake civic education on election-related responsibilities of Ghanaians. They also stressed the need for the EC to educate law enforcement agencies 'on their expected roles during elections. Furthermore, they said people in the public service desiring to run for political office on the ticket of any political party but who were not required to resign from office under the Constitution should be able to d6 so without any fear, threat of victimisation or intimidation. They urged the Judiciary to take steps to resolve election-related cases expeditiously. They said while Ghana was making significant progress in its electoral processes, all stakeholders must, nevertheless, work together to ensure that what had been achieved was further deepened. The parties which signed the document were the New Patriotic Party, the National Democratic Congress, the Convention People's Party, the People's National Convention, the Democratic Freedom Party, the EGLE Party and the Uni~d Renaissance Party. Others were the Ghana National Party, the United Love Party (ULP), the NCCE and the IEA. Source: Daily Graphic