A Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Mr Kingsley Adjei, has called on the leaders of political parties to desist from using the tribal card to canvass for votes during electioneering for the December 28 presidential run-off. According to him, the use of the tribal card will not serve any useful purpose for the country's democratic growth and development. Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr. Adjei said campaigning for the run-off should be issues-based, adding that leaders of political parties should tell the electorate what they would do to address the problems of poverty and unemployment among other things. He also urged the electorate to look out for the party whose messages would focus on such variables. The Electoral Commission(EC) last Wednesday announced that none of the contesting candidates, including candidates of the two major political parties; the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party was able to secure more than 50 percent of the votes cast in last Sunday’s general election. The presidential candidate of the ruling NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, led in the polls with 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast. Following closely was Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the main opposition NDC, who had 4,056,634, representing 47.92 per cent of the valid votes. Mr Adjei says when voting is done on ethnic lines, square pegs are put in round holes, adding that because of ethnic affiliation, leaders of political parties tend to put people who are not qualified for positions of trust. He said the country needed competent and qualified people who could transform and develop the nation for the better, and that the issue of ethnic or tribal politics should be discarded to ensure the maximum development of the country. “We need leaders whose policies are tenable and can lead us to a middle income status,” adding that “we have seven years to reach that.” Mr. Adjei said because of the huge expenditures incurred by political parties, they would try to outdo each other, and therefore stressed the need for the EC, security personnel and other stakeholders to work hard during the second round of electioneering. He said security personnel especially should avoid being partisan and discriminatory to ensure smooth campaigning and voting on December 28, 2008. He reminded leaders of political parties that elections are about winning and losing and that they should prepare their minds and their supporters for any such eventuality. Mr Adjei stressed the need for political parties to play by the rules and use due process in issues they may not be happy with, since the country had become a beacon of hope on the continent “The whole world is looking at us. Let us ensure that we do not destroy what we have built and where we have come from,” he advised. Source: Daily Graphic