A clergyman has advised Ghanaians, particularly members of political parties, to ensure unity and peace in diversity, as the country gears up for election 2012.

Most Reverend Dr. Robert Aboagye-Mensah, Vice President of the All Africa Conference of Churches for West Africa, stressed that there was the need “to harness the country’s cultural, political, and ethnic diversity for national development”.

The clergyman, who made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Thursday in Accra, asked the people to respect each other’s dignity, and to address topical issues such as climate change and HIV/AIDS.

Most. Rev. Aboagye-Mensah warned that if the citizenry focused solely on differences among the people, it could lead to national destruction. He appealed to Ghanaians to support the Electoral Commission and other stakeholders to ensure free, fair and violent-free elections in December.