Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the African Union (AU) High Representative for Silencing the Guns and Chairman of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan, has urged the government of Ghana to uphold the country’s reputation as a peaceful nation, especially during the upcoming December 2024 elections.
He made this appeal while speaking at the official launch of the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) election day observation activities in Accra.
“We have a track record that, yes, on our continent, in our sub-region, when they are counting countries that are known for generally peaceful, credible elections, Ghana, we are up there. And we want to keep it up there,” Dr. Chambas stated.
The appeal comes as Ghanaians prepare to head to the polls on December 7 to elect a president and 276 Members of Parliament for a four-year term. Dr. Chambas emphasized the need for continuous vigilance, stating that past success in organizing peaceful elections does not guarantee future outcomes. “So, this is where vigilance is called for. Let’s not be complacent,” he warned.
“Let us work to improve on our past performance and make every process even better,” he added, stressing that ensuring peaceful and violence-free elections is a shared responsibility. He called on all stakeholders, including state institutions and civil society organizations, to play their part in maintaining peace during the election period.
Referring to instances of election-related violence in the past, Dr. Chambas expressed hope for a return to normalcy. “We’re all determined to make sure that this time around we’ll go back to normal, which is we want to have elections at the end of which no Ghanaian has to lose their life. That’s very, very important,” he said.
He also expressed confidence in the Electoral Commission (EC), noting, “And we’ve had some very assuring words from the EC. I would like to believe that they will work to improve on their past performance to give everybody the confidence that this process will be very, very credible and transparent.”
In his remarks, Dr. Chambas also addressed the underrepresentation of women in Ghana’s parliament, urging the country to make efforts to increase the number of women in the next parliament. Furthermore, he commended CODEO for its significant contributions to Ghana’s democratic progress, emphasizing the need for the organization to maintain its impartiality and integrity.
“CODEO’s impartiality should be maintained. Its reputation for CODEO’s incorruptibility has been referenced,” he concluded.