Outgoing Chairman of the National Peace Council (NPC) Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante has advised the two main leading political parties to stop creating tension and controversies ahead of the December 7 elections.

Most Rev. Prof Asante said the actions and inactions of these two parties could put fear in innocent electorates and this does not help the elections.

The former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana was commenting on the controversies over missing names in the just compiled voter register for the 2020 elections

While the largest opposition political party, National Democratic Congress (NDC), alleges that the party has detailed reports on the number of names omitted from the register, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) says there is no point being outfield campaigning when one suspects the EC did not meet with political parties before the exhibition exercise and complain that tens of thousands of names missing from the register.

These developments between the two parties and the Electoral Commission (EC) have created controversies in the political circle in the country.

Reacting to the issue on Onua FM’s Yen Sempa on Wednesday, September 23, Prof Asante advised the parties against whipping up sentiments from among the general public.

“If they think the names are not in the register, they should sit with the EC. The EC has done well so far because if they err, they admit, talk about it and address so this should not bring anarchy.”

The man of God explained that “if it happens this way, it puts fear and panic in the voters”.

Solution?

Most Rev Prof Asante said the political parties should not resort to press conferences to channel out their grievances because Ghana has a way of resolving electoral agitations.

“That is the reason why there is an IPAC. They should resolve it. They should settle it amicably because what we put on social media and public does not help. It encourages some people to do certain things.”

He added: “It’s not about press conferences. Take your complaints to the EC and it may not be as you are talking about. The best approach is to sit and deliberate instead of agitations”.

International supervisors

On the call by the former President John Mahama, who is also the flagbearer of the NDC, for international observers and supervisors for the December 7 elections, Rev Asante said there was no need for such supervisors.

“The opposition political parties think all the institutions are against them and it is not good. This is not the first time such a thing has happened. If we work with mistrust, we interpret things in any way.”

Rev Asante said “it’s not necessary for the international body to supervise our elections because the 1992 constitution which gives the EC the mandate to organize elections has been with us since and we should work with what we have”.

He continued: “The EC has worked till now…if you think there have been mistakes, we should sit and deliberate on how to resolve it but if we bring anyone, we will not trust that person or body too”.