Vice President and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has expressed confidence that the 2024 general elections will be peaceful and further cement Ghana’s reputation as a beacon of democracy.Speaking at the national signing of the peace pact on Thursday, November 28, 2024, Dr.

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Bawumia assured, “As we head into the December 2024 polls, the 9th presidential elections in Ghana, nine days from today, I am certain of two outcomes. Ghana will win and peace will reign.”He highlighted Ghana’s track record as a law-abiding country and urged all stakeholders to uphold the values of democracy. “We have been here before and can prove again that Ghana is a shining example of a resilient democracy,” he emphasized.Dr.

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Bawumia appealed to electoral stakeholders to take their roles seriously in fostering harmony. “My plea to everybody involved in the electioneering process, including candidates, political parties, electoral officers, voters, the media, security, and the general public, is to take responsibility for ensuring peace and harmony seriously and to demonstrate that we are not reluctant democrats.

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”The Vice President added, “We will come out of this election stronger as a nation.”The event also saw other political leaders, including John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), signing the peace pact aimed at promoting a peaceful electoral process.Mahama, however, cautioned that peace agreements must be backed by genuine actions to maintain trust.

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“There is reason to be concerned that the signing of this pact, though well-intentioned, could amount to nothing if not followed by concrete actions to guarantee the peace by the stakeholders and government,” he warned.He underscored the importance of aligning declarations with actions, adding, “It is all well and good for us to commit to peace and recite beautiful platitudes.

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However, all efforts to build peace before, during, and after the 2024 elections would be futile if mistrust and insincerity persist. Mistrust arises when there is a disconnect between words and actions, compounded by gaslighting from those in authority.”Drawing from past experiences, Mahama recalled the violence during the 2020 general elections and the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.

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“We all recall the appalling spectacle of masked men acting on the orders of operatives of the government, shooting indiscriminately at innocent Ghanaians going about their legitimate electoral activity during that by-election. Some of the victims of that shooting incident remain incapacitated till now.

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”He criticized the government for failing to implement recommendations from the Emile Short Commission, which investigated the by-election violence, stating, “The inaction of the government in the face of the murder of eight of our citizens during the last election casts a shadow of doubt on government commitment to maintain the peace.

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How are we to believe that such killings would not reoccur?”Electoral Commission Chairperson Jean Mensa assured Ghanaians of a credible electoral process, stating, “Robust measures are in place to ensure the elections are peaceful, free, fair, and transparent.”The peace pact, signed by political parties and their candidates, is aimed at ensuring a peaceful election and upholding Ghana’s democratic principles.

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