Accra, Dec. 31, GNA - The Trades Union Congress (TUC) on Wednesday commended the Electoral Commission for the matured manner in which it has handled the results of the December 28 Presidential Election Runoff.

"The matured manner in which the results were announced defused the tension and averted a potentially explosive situation," a statement signed by Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General, TUC said in Accra. The statement assured the two contending parties, the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress that the Commission was ready to listen to their legitimate grievances, where evidence was provided.

The TUC noted that the EC had informed the whole country that it was going to audit some of the results in the Volta and Ashanti Regions following complaints from the two parties hoping that "these investigation will be completed on time for the new President to be sworn in on January 7, 2009."

Congratulating the leaders of the two parties, security personnel, and civil society organizations for a successful runoff, organized Labour, however, condemned "certain discordant tones in the course of the runoff, especially during the period after the ballot and when the whole nation was anxiously waiting for the declaration of the results by the

EC". On the alleged irregularities and malpractices, in the Ashanti and Volta Regions, the Union condemned the acts of violence, intimidation and lawlessness committed by misguided and misled party activities and supporters of the two parties. "The systematic form in which actions took makes it difficult to believe that they were not organized" the statement said. The TUC further condemned some sections of the media, who through pronouncements which clearly incited people to embark upon illegal, unconstitutional and violent forms of protest, which had no justification.

In the view of the TUC, such pronouncements were not consistent with the professional ethics and practice of the media, adding that, the people of Ghana would not accept such conduct. On the Tain Constituency elections slated for January 2, 2009, the Union was optimistic that the elections would be conducted in a peaceful and transparent manner so that the two contesting parties would also accept the final results to be declared by the EC.