Accra, Dec. 3, GNA- The West Africa Network for Peace-building (WANEP), a sub-regional peace building organization has called on Ghanaians to uphold and preserve peace during and after the December 7 elections to maintain the country's status of being a shining example of democracy in West Africa.

It said while the electioneering process might have generated heated debates, name calling and anxiety sometime resulting in excesses, this was now another opportunity for Ghanaians to demonstrate that democratic governance required tolerance, mutual respect and peace in order to choose leaders in freedom and fairness.

"All eyes are turned towards Ghana to maintain its status of the shining example of democracy in West Africa. The stakes are high, and the challenges are enormous. But peace must be preserved." This was contained in a statement issued by WANEP in Accra on Friday and signed by its Executive Director, Emmanuel Bombande, calling on Ghanaians to preserve peace in the country even as election approaches.

It said considerable resources have been expended to ensure peaceful elections with a vibrant civil society and the media engaging politicians and the electorate to discuss issues at stake, and that all these preparations should provide the enabling environment for peaceful elections.

The statement said the period leading to the elections had been the time for vehement disagreement but the period immediately after the elections should be the time to reach out to one another where those who graciously lost congratulate those who won and where those who win reach out to those who lost to build bridges and reconcile.

This, it said, was important so that Ghanaians benefited from the exercise of democracy and maintain its leading position as the "cradle of democracy" in West Africa.