INTER-PARTY DIALOGUE COMMITTEE INAUGURATED IN HO

An Inter-Party Dialogue Committee task with the mandate of promoting peace and resolving conflicts before, during and after the 2012 general elections has been inaugurated in Ho on Wednesday.

 Mr Anthony Belley, the Volta regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), speaking at the inauguration noted that, the committee will provide an effective platform for key stakeholder to engage with political parties, the NCCE and the Electoral Commission in ensuring violence- free elections.

He said though, Ghana is acclaimed internationally as the beacon of democratic governance in Africa, there is the need to consolidate and deepen the nation’s democratic tenets by forming the inter-party dialogue committees to  act as a buffer zone for constituencies to curtail unnecessary suspicions among political parties.

Mr. Belley said the committee would focus on mediation and resolution of petty conflicts, monitor the enforcement of the code of conduct of political parties, promote peace and identify issues that have the potential to trigger election related conflicts.

The committee which comprise of representatives of political parties, faith based organizations, civil society and community based organizations, the police, traditional authorities, independent governance institutions and the media has Mr Joseph Nuertey of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) as chairman, Mama Agblatsu II as vice chairperson, Mr. Enoch Amegbletor as secretary and Mr. Edem Yao Torsah of Volta Premier Fm as organizer.

Similar committees according to Mr. Belley will be inaugurated at the district, constituency and zonal levels across the region to put in place an effective conflict prevention programme to prevent election related violence.