Government has met EC's budget - Kufuor

Accra, May 1, GNA - The request for funds for the December 2008 polls submitted by the Electoral Commission (EC) to the Government has been met in full, President John Agyekum Kufuor, said in Accra on Thursday. He said this notwithstanding, the Government stood ready to meet any subsequent legitimate demand the Commission would make.

President Kufuor, who was addressing the National May Day Parade, the last of his Presidency, at the Independence Square in Accra, therefore urged the EC to do its work with the professionalism required of it.

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills and Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, presidential candidates of the National Democratic Congress and Convention People's Party respectively, and captains of industry joined the workers at the parade held under the theme: "Deepening Ghana's Democracy; The Role of Organized Labour."

He pointed out that the responsibility for running credible elections went beyond the Commission to embrace all Ghanaians. It was on account of this that, "we should be able to desist from pronouncements, which give rise to undue scepticism and work together with the Commission to ensure transparency, fairness and peace". President Kufuor cautioned that any misunderstanding arising from the Presidential and Parliamentary polls should be subjected to due processes of the law.

He repeated his pledge that the Government would not do anything that would undermine the upcoming elections.

"Ghana is considered a beacon of democracy. Therefore, we should all be committed through our conduct to validate this positive assessment."

He asked the political parties to see themselves as part of the constitutional organs running for elections, and for that matter, behave in the letter and spirit of the Constitution to assist the process and to be law abiding.

President Kufuor reminded them that anything short of that would be illegal and detrimental to the nation's progress. Mr Kofi Asamoah, Acting Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), asked the parties to note that what the nation was demanding from them was responsible campaigning for votes and level-headedness.

"It is important that the parties do not mislead citizens and create a siege mentality among their members and followers by any suggestion that, the December elections are a matter of life and death. They are not." Organized labour, he said, would accept nothing other than free, fair and transparent elections as the nation moved forward in consolidating democracy. He said Ghanaian workers were committed to resolutely defend and uphold the democratic foundations on which the future of the nation was built. 1 May 08