Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and head of United Nations Office for West Africa Dr Ibn Chambas has urged Ghana and Gambia to ensure that their upcoming presidential elections are peaceful and free from intimidation and violence.

To this end, he has asked the leaders of the two countries who will be going to the polls this year to ensure a level playing field for all political parties in their respective countries.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the ongoing 49th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Dakar, Senegal, Dr Ibn Chambas admonished Ghana and The Gambia to create the needed conditions in their countries to ensure the elections are without any incident.

Dr Ibn Chambas called for measures such as protection for the various flagbearers and also ensuring that the media was free to act within an allowable space to ensure legitimacy of the results that will come out of the process.

He said: “Naturally, we expect that Ghana and The Gambia will follow suit by holding inclusive, credible, transparent, and peaceful elections. To that end, necessary conditions should be created to ensure level playing fields including security for candidates and unhindered access to the media and to all parts of the territory for campaign as prerequisite for acceptance of elections which accord legitimacy.”