Regional News of Monday, 13 December 2004

Source: GNA

Political parties attend thanksgiving service

Kumasi, Dec.13, GNA-Supporters of the ruling NPP and opposition NDC in the newly created Oforikrom constituency on Sunday attended a thanksgiving service at the Amakom Saint Paul's Catholic Church in Kumasi to thank God for a peaceful elections.

By 06.30 Hrs, the church was already filled to capacity by supporters of the two major parties clad in their party colours. The atmosphere at the church was one of camaraderie as supporters of the two parties danced happily together to music.

Delivering the sermon, the Reverend Father Philip Opoku Nyame, parish priest of the church expressed concern about reports that certain people were insulting other ethnic groups for voting massively for a particular political party.

He described such a situation as a recipe for conflict and war and said it should not be encouraged and should be condemned in no uncertain terms.

Father Nyame, therefore called on supporters of the two political parties not to let the unity they had shown at the church remain in the church after leaving the premises but should extend it to their homes and ensure that their utterances were devoid of insults and insinuations which could trigger off conflicts.

He also asked the people not to let the election results divide them and said now that the elections were over what was left was unity, dedication and hard work which would bring about the much needed development.

Most of the supporters of the two parties who spoke to the Ghana News Agency said they were celebrating the peaceful outcome of the elections and the event was therefore for the whole country and not for particular parties.