The Centre for Alternative Development (CENFAD-Ghana), a non-governmental organization, has initiated some measures to ensure peaceful and transparent elections in the Upper East Region.

The NGO, which seeks to promote good governance, is working with sponsorship from STAR-Ghana another NGO, to collaborate with stakeholders in the region and help achieve the objectives of the program.

CENFAD-Ghana recently organised a regional stakeholders workshop at Tongo which attracted representatives from all political parties, chiefs, journalists and assembly members in the region.

The event was on the theme: “Promoting Transparent, Fair and Peaceful 2012 Election in Upper East Region.”

Mr Martin Abelwine, the Programme Coordinator of CENFAD-GHANA, said the workshop focused on soliciting stakeholder’s support to help achieve their objective, adding that the one-year project would identify and mitigate possible conflicts in trouble spots within the region.

He said conflict mitigation committees, youth voter awareness campaigns, women and youth voter registration drives would be established to ensure the success of the program.

He said CENFAD-Ghana would monitor activities of political parties, organise radio discussions on conflict prevention, electoral rights and responsibilities and political tolerance.

Mr Abelwine said, the NGO would also organise parliamentary debates among parliamentary aspirants in the region, and support the police, judiciary and EC to ensure peaceful elections.

Participants at the meeting called on the EC to recruit people who are acquainted with the communities of the area to undertake registration and other electoral duties, and expressed worry that some officials in the ongoing biometric registration were not familiar with the names of the people of the area.**