The Western Regional Peace Council (WRPC), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has held a day’s constituency-level stakeholder dialogue in the Essikado-Ketan constituency to ensure a peaceful election.

The dialogue funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was also used to sign a constituency-level peace pact by parliamentary candidates in the Essikado-Ketan constituency which is a hotspot to promote peace in the area before, during and after the polls.

Bishop Emmanuel Botwey the WRPC chairman, in his welcoming address, said the dialogue was to ensure a peaceful election, adding that the signing of the peace pact was to drive commitment from the various political parties and serve as a guide during and after the election.

He said the dialogue was not a debate but a platform that would encourage political tolerance and consensus-building among political parties as well as ensure peace in the media space.

Bishop Botwey was hopeful that the signed pact would bring useful results, address grievances, reduce tension and violence and curb any activities associated with electoral violence.

Mr Richard Ametefe Lecturer Department of Peace Studies, University of Cape Coast, who took participants through election-related conflicts and their management noted that war was much more than just shooting guns and ending lives.

He said war was about starvation, rape, deprivations of movement, lack of access to health care, wealth, disease, hopelessness, loss of children, parents, loved ones, spouses, no schooling and above all the creation of a generation of illiterates.

He in that regard, called on those beating war drums to desist from it, stressing that even after wars it took decades for a nation to heal and reconcile and tasked political party leaders to manage the expectation of their supporters whether they win an election or not.

Mr Ametefe urged citizens to do everything to maintain the peace and stability the country was enjoying, adding “conflicts that resulted in wars and had a dire consequence, therefore all must refrain from activities that might put the peace of the country on the line.

Police Chief Superintendent Daniel Anane Amoah of the Takoradi Division police command said security personnel have been specially trained for the upcoming polls and pledged that the service would ensure peace before, during and after the polls.

He cautioned the public, particularly the youth, to reform from acts that would disturb the electoral process and asked the security personnel to execute their duties professionally.

The Regional Directors of the National Commission for Civic Education and Electoral Commission took turns to educate the participants on the dos and don’ts of the election.

Mr Charles Cromwell Bissue the New Patriotic Party Parliamentary candidate for Essikado who was present to sign the peace pact, pledged his commitment to ensuring peace before, during and after the polls.

He called on his supporters and party members to approach the polls peacefully and decide for themselves who they want as leaders without being influenced by gifts.

In a related development, the Council organised a similar programme in the Jomoro constituency where only the representative of the NPP parliamentary candidate was present to sign the peace pact.

The Jomoro constituency has four parliamentary candidates, Dorcas Affo-Toffey of the NDC, Paul Essien of the NPP, Madam Samia Nkrumah an independent candidate and Nana Blay Miezah of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).