Staff of the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), in collaboration with members of the All Political Parties Women Association (APPWA) and the All Political Parties Youth Association (APPYA) on the eve of the bye-elections conducted a non-violence and compliance campaign.
It all started at the Headquarters of the PPRC on Tower Hill where both APPWA and APPYA members received briefing on the messages they should carry to Ward 392 in the east end and constituency 107 in the central part of the city.
At Ward 392, the team went to Rokel and John Thorpe communities, visiting various communities in the ward, and at constituency 107, Kroobay, Krootown Road and Lightfoot-Boston Street communities they sensitised on the need to strictly abide by election rules and regulations.
Explaining to Awoko, Outreach and Communications Officer, PPRC, Lucien Momoh said there is a need to constantly engage communities that ‘politics is not war’, noting that there is life after election.
He advised that registered voters wishing to exercise their franchise must do so peacefully, and after voting they should go home and listen to the radio and hear the election results from the National Electoral Commission.
Mr. Momoh also called on members and supporters of political parties to avoid violence, intimidation and embrace political tolerance.
The PPRC Outreach and Communications Officer furthered that even in the home political tolerance should exist, noting that members of the same family do not belong to the same party, but they should accommodate each other without violence or intimidation.
On all the communities visited members were exited that their representatives were involved to support PPRC spread the message of non-violence which, according to some of them, was important because they admitted that despite that the campaign went on well, there were few clashes of violence and intimidation, among parties.
Also, at the Krootown Road market, some of the women questioned whether they should sell on elections day, the team informed them that they should listen to the appropriate authorities for update.
Listening to some of the comments from both members of APPWA and APPYA, the feedback from communities was good and they would have loved to get more time to further the non-violence campaign, but because of lack of resources they had to limit the campaign to one day.
On elections day APPWA and APPYA members were divided into two teams lead by staff of the PPRC to monitor the two elections.
By Ade Campbell
Monday November 16, 2015
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