WiLDAF urges political leaders to help defuse tension

Daily Graphic, Pg.19, Jan. 03/09

Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho

THE Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) organisation says the tension that has engulfed the country does not augur well for the country’s development and called on political leaders in the country to help diffuse it by putting Ghana first in all that they do.
The organisation also called on the First Lady, Mrs Theresa Kufuor and the wives of all leaders of political parties who campaigned for their husbands earlier in the year to join the call for peace to prevail.
They also appealed to all women to talk to “our fathers, grandfathers, husbands, brothers, nephews and sons that they should not get involved in acts that will cause violence”.
The Chairperson of WiLDAF, Dr Cherub Antwi-Nsiah, made the call at a press conference in Accra.
The press conference was aimed at expressing women’s concerns over the political tension in the country.
According to Dr Antwi-Nsiah, women and their children usually bore the brunt of civil strife when they erupted and therefore said that there was the need for the two contending parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to let peace prevail in the country.
“Collectively, events of the run-off lead women to conclude that the NDC and NPP are undertaking actions that are likely to lead this country into chaos. The two political parties, their supporters and sympathisers have not and are not listening to the cry of the majority of the people of Ghana for peace,” they said.
“Tensions around the elections the last week are preventing women from carrying out their normal economic and social activities. The loss of revenue around the Christmas and New Year period, particularly in the wake of economic problems of last year that resulted from escalating prices of crude oil, should matter to all Ghanaians,” Dr Antwi-Nsiah said.
She added that there was the need for the present tension to be diffused and therefore recommended among others that the NPP should desist from following through with the writ for injunction so that there could be a smooth transition to the next government.
“The Electoral Commission should declare the results on time so that women and children will be free from unnecessary fear characterising the elections,” it also recommended.
They appealed to the two political parties involved in the election to accept the results in good faith.
They said “events in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, DR Congo and Northern Uganda, which plunged these countries into mayhem, are still fresh on our minds”.
“We are witnesses to sisters from neighbouring countries who lived as victims of conflict and as refugees and their experiences should serve as lessons to Ghanaian women,” they said.