The Ghanaian Chronicle says President Rawlings on Sunday raised the spectre of peaceful elections when he solemnly declared at a gathering of Christian faithfuls that he would respect the wishes of the electorate in the December elections even if they made a choice that differs from his.

"That candour and apparent sincerity with which he said it touched off a rapturous applause in the packed interior of the National Theatre," the paper commented.

He noted that it would be wrong for him even to suggest that the voters are wrong when they make their choice on December 7 when these same people had voted for him over the last two elections.

He said however, that should their choice let things turn around (with the economy, etc) it may be God's desire to teach them a lesson.

President Rawlings had in his address expressed how much he looked forward to leaving office and escape pressures that go with it.

He said he would continue to have the wellbeing of the country at heart and would be praying for peaceful elections adding that, "let's make our choices in the secrecy of the polling booths and not in the streets through violence".