Inter Party Dialogue Committee for Kassena/Nankana West District inaugurated

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has inaugurated an Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) for the Kassena/Nankana West District in the Upper East Region.

This is part of efforts to ensure free, fair and peaceful general elections in December 2020.

The committee among other things will ensure that stakeholders work together and play key roles to achieve a credible, free, fair and violence free election.

Members of the committee were drawn from political parties, security agencies, Electoral Commission, traditional and religious groups, Commission for Human Rights and Administration Justice (CHRAJ), NCCE, dressmakers and tailors’ association and the media.

Mr Robert Dampare, the Kassena Nankana West District Director of the NCCE, speaking at the ceremony in Paga, the district capital, said the objective of the IPDC was to concentrate on mediation and resolution of petty conflicts by monitoring the enforcement of the electoral rules and regulations, identifying issues that had the potential to bring electoral conflicts, promoting peaceful co-existence among political parties, and also to promote information sharing to avoid rumour-mongering.

He said the IPDC would focus on promoting political discourse to mitigate misinformation and misrepresentation amongst political parties and key stakeholders and provide opportunity for all parties to air their concerns.

 “The IPDC will further organise interactive inter-party fora at the district and zonal levels, initiate and sustain dialogue for stakeholders in the resolution of conflict that has the potential to affect the upcoming elections and deepen collaboration between the NCCE, EC, traditional authorities, political parties, the youth, security agencies, district assemblies, civil society and community leaders in the promotion of non-violence,”he added.

Inaugurating the committee on behalf of the Kassena Nankana West District Chief Executive, an Assistant Director of the Assembly, Mr John Akologo implored the committee to work diligently to ensure that the 2020 general elections in the district was violence free and fair.

He pledged the support of the assembly to the committee to carry out its work.

GNA