Mr Justice Emile Short, the Former Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, has called on Ghanaians not to compromise the peace and stability of the country as the country gears towards the general election.
He said electoral disputes had caused conflicts with some neighbouring countries having witnessed unrest leading to loss of lives and properties.
Mr Short made the remarks at a Town Hall Meeting in Accra organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) for stakeholders in the country’s electoral process, as part of efforts to promote peaceful elections in Ghana.
The meeting, on the theme: “Making Ghana’s 2016 Elections Peaceful - The Role of Stakeholders,” was attended by representatives of the Electoral Commission, Ghana Police Service, political parties, National Commission for Civic Education, Christian Council of Ghana, Office of the National Chief Imam, Civil Society Organisations and the media.
Mr Short said the electoral violence in Kenya during the 2007 Presidential Election resulted in the deaths of 1,133 people while nearly 600,000 others were displaced.
He said the leadership of the country ended up in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague accused of crimes against humanity and other international crimes.
Mr Short reminded Ghanaians that in Ivory Coast 3,000 people were killed and more than 150 women were raped and urged Ghanaians to take a cue from it and sustain the peace in the country.
He appealed to party leaders to take concrete steps to disband all vigilante groups to avoid conflicts.
Mr Alfred L. Taban, the Member of the Association for Media Development in South Sudan, who shared the experience of electoral war in his country, advised Ghanaians to shun hate-filled politics, tribalism and corruption, which are the causes of conflict.
The stakeholders involved in the electoral process and representatives of the various political parties assured Ghanaians of their commitment to ensure peace before, during and after the December polls.
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