Regional News of Tuesday, 6 March 2012

Source: GNA

"Be mindful of your utterances and actions", politicians advised

Angela Mensah, an 8-year-old peace ambassador, who is promoting peace for Election 2012, has called on politicians to be mindful of their utterances and actions to maintain the peace in the country.

She said politicians should rather tell Ghanaians what they would do when voted into power, saying that, “politics I believe is meant to reduce the suffering of the people and not to insult one another”.

Ambassador Mensah said this in a speech delivered to mark the 55th Anniversary celebration of Ghana’s Independence in Accra.

She said insults, lies and foul language used by some politicians could send the country into an unfortunate situation saying "let us not forget that nations like Cote d’ Ivoire, Kenya, Rwanda and others that have experienced electoral violence were peaceful like Ghana, whether one is a member of party A, B or C, we are all from one country Ghana.”

She said Ghana had a good record of conducting successful Presidential and Parliamentary Elections and it is widely recognised as the beacon of peace and an example to other African counties, the "world is thus watching and expecting peaceful elections".

She said women and children were the most affected in electoral violence and reminded the politicians that "Ghanaian children wish to live in a peaceful country to achieve their dreams and not to become refugees in other countries".

Ambassador Mensah appealed to the Electoral Commission to conduct the 2012 elections in a free, fair and transparent manner and called on the media to be circumspect in their reportage.

She also called on every Ghanaian of voting age to register during the Biometric registration so as to exercise their franchise in the December polls.

Ghana for Peace, a Non-Governmental Organization, which is aimed at promoting peace in Ghana, took the initiative to appoint Ambassador Mensah to preach peace in the coming General Election.

She started her campaign with visits to churches, mosques, markets and other social gatherings to preach the need for Ghana to have a peaceful election.