MAINTAIN NEUTRAL POSITION — JOHN MAHAMA (PAGE 16)

MR John Dramani Mahama, the running mate to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearer, Prof. J. E. Atta Mills, has appealed to the security agencies and the Electoral Commission (EC) to maintain a neutral position in the execution of their duties to ensure the conduct of credible elections in December.
He said the display of any form of loyalty and commitment to any political party could undermine the confidence of the people in the outcome of the elections.
Mr Mahama, who made the call during a tour to the Upper Manya District in the Eastern Region, said “the loyalty of personnel of the EC and the security establishments should be towards the state and the people and not to any political party”.
“The neutrality of our security agencies and the EC will boost the people’s confidence in the electoral process and the results of the elections, which will ensure peace in the country,” he noted.
The NDC running mate, who was accompanied by some executives of the party, including its Eastern Regional Chairman, Mr Julius Debrah and Mr Stephen Amanor Quao, the Parliamentary Member for Upper Manya Constituency, was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the area.
Mr Mahama was, however, full of praise for the security agencies and the EC for its ability to conduct four successful elections in the country since 1992.
“However, the EC should guard against complacency and sit up to ensure that the upcoming election is conducted in a credible manner”, he said, describing the recent voter registration exercise as the “worst ever to be organised by the EC’’.
He expressed the hope that the anomalies that were associated with the just-ended exercise would be a thing of the past, as any recurrence could severely tarnish the EC’s reputation and reduce the confidence of the people in the electoral process.
The running mate also urged Ghanaians not to perceive those with different political leanings as enemies but with different beliefs, saying “irrespective of which party we belong to, we are all Ghanaians, hence the need to live in peace and unity”.
He, therefore, entreated the people to pray for God’s guidance in the selection of the best party to rule the country, noting that “it is only God who chooses and bestows power on a man with power to rule and ensure the well-being of the people”.
The Bole Bamboi MP expressed the commitment of the NDC to increase the Capitation Grant to enable more children to access quality education in the country.