The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Wednesday organised a workshop for election management bodies and key election stakeholders as part of efforts to strengthen the pillars of Ghana’s democracy and ensure free, fair and violence free Election 2012.

The workshop on the theme “Towards Free, Fair, and Violence Free Elections in Ghana: Holding Key Stakeholders Accountable” was attended by representatives of political parties, National Peace Council, Electoral Commission (EC), National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), Security Services and the media.

A statement issued by IEA in Accra said it was to enable participants to reflect on the lapses of Election 2008 and identify strategies for overcoming foreseeable challenges in the run up to Election 2012.

The participants called on the EC to collaborate effectively with the NCCE and political parties to educate party agents on their rights and responsibilities.

They urged the EC to intensify voter education on the biometric registration process, liaise with security agencies to guarantee the security of the entire electoral process.

On political parties, the participants called for the disbandment of all alleged vigilante groups and enforce the Political Parties Code of Conduct, while ensuring that their manifestos reflected tenets of the 1992 Constitution on the Directive Principle of State Policy.

They urged the media to sign the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) Handbook in which media houses pledged to ensure accurate, balanced and fair reportage, and stop the politicisation of national issues.

On security agencies and the judiciary, the participants called on the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood to ensure that issues of political rights and electoral disputes were dealt with quickly and urged the security agencies not to allow themselves to be controlled by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.

They appealed to the government to create the new districts in accordance with Constitutional Provisions as soon as possible to assist the EC in the registration exercise and enact the Transition Bill before Election 2012 to guarantee the tenure of office of some public servants, irrespective of the outcome of the elections.

The participants called on civil societies to uphold the Constitution and not allow themselves to be manipulated by politicians. **