Election petition must not be win-lose contest - WANEP

The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP-Ghana) has advised the election petitioners and respondents at the Supreme Court to view the process as a means to address the challenges of the electoral system.

WANEP-Ghana says it should not be a win-lose contest.

Justin Bayor, National Network Coordinator of WANEP-Ghana made this known in a statement issued in Tamale and made available to the Ghana News Agency as part of the quarterly alert brief of the body.

It called on stakeholders to educate the public, especially the youth, to be civil and avoid taking positions publicly on the outcome of the petition,

“In this regard, parties and factions should discourage statements that might provoke violence,” it said.

The statement appealed to the Supreme Court to do due diligence in resolving the election petition dispute promptly, justly and in the interest of the nation.

The statement said, under the period under review, a total of 96 violence related incidents were recorded by their early warning system.

Out of the number, political and governance related issues constituted 20 per cent.

WANEP-Ghana said the increasing number of meetings of politically affiliated groups, which act as pressure and accountability groups, is becoming a worrying phenomenon.

It noted that public pronouncements by members of the key parties in Court have the tendency to create mistrust in the process, discredit the outcome and could promote the potential for violence.