NCCE Extends Dialogue Committees to Constituencies

Bolgatanga, Aug. 29, GNA - The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in collaboration with Action Aid Ghana, a British non-governmental organization (NGO) has started the formation and inauguration of Inter-Party Dialogue Committees (IPDC) at the constituency level nationwide.

Mr. Haruna Husheini Sulemana, Upper East Regional Director of NCCE, who announced this at a Co-ordinating Committee meeting of IPDCs in Bolgatanga at the weekend, said the formation of such committees in the constituencies was crucial to involve the people at the grassroots. Hitherto, IPDCs existed only at the Regional and District levels, and a national one is yet to be established at the NCCE head office in Accra.

Mr. Sulemana said the key objectives of the IPDC were, the prevention and resolution of conflict through dialogue, deepening of inter-party socialization and interaction. Others are, the prevention of misinformation and misrepresentation among political parties, and promoting the law-abiding spirit among political parties, their supporters and sympathisers. He said in every multi-party democracy, political parties constituted vehicles of participation since they provided the link between the citizens and government.

"It is therefore imperative that as key actors in the political game, they understand and commit themselves to work within the confines of the electoral laws of Ghana," He added.

The Regional NCCE Director urged political parties to work together in an atmosphere of co-operation and compromise to achieve peace, "having in mind that every political party is important and equally has the right to exist".

Members of the Co-ordinating Committee of the IPDC's expressed dissatisfaction about the absence of representatives of some political parties at the meeting, even though they were duly invited to attend. They therefore, called on the leadership of political parties in the region to recognize the importance of forums organized by the IPDC. The members noted that peace was relevant at all times, and therefore, the need to forge ahead with peace-building initiatives even during post-election period to achieve social harmony and progress.