The Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has called on all stakeholders in the December 28 presidential run-off to conduct themselves to ensure a free, transparent, peaceful and credible election. It said the GTUC would contribute in whatever way it could to make the outcome of the election acceptable to all. A statement signed by the Secretary-General of the TUC, Mr Kofi Asamoah, on the December 7 general election, however, called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to facilitate the movement of logistics to polling stations to ensure that voting started on time at each polling station. It also stressed the need to ensure greater transparency in the transfer of votes from one constituency to another and also create more manageable polling stations to avoid long queues that could make voting run late into the night. To ensure that the run-off and future elections were even more successful, the GTUC stressed the need to intensify voter education to reduce to the barest minimum the number of rejected or spoilt ballots. It commended all stakeholders in the December 7 polls for the disciplined, organised, peaceful, mature and professional manner they comported themselves during the poll. Organised labour noted that although elections were not perfect, "on the whole we have been able, through our collective effort, to ensure free, fair, credible and peaceful elections, contrary to the predictions of doomsday sooth sayers". The statement said Ghana had once more provided a shining example of the best from Africa to the world and demonstrated once more the ability and capacity of African people to hold their place with the best in the world. It noted that despite the initial hiccups and criticisms levelled against the EC, it worked assiduously to deliver on the day it mattered most. It commended the security agencies for the professional and disciplined manner in which they policed the elections and intervened to defuse tension at flash points. The GTUC further acknowledged the role of civil society, especially the National Peace Council, in actively and passionately campaigning for peaceful, non-violent and transparent elections. "Their various meetings and consultations with political parties and their messages in the mass media went in no small way to send a clear message to all and sundry, especially those who might have been looking for a pretext to plunge the country into violence and chaos, that Ghanaians simply would not tolerate any such reckless misadventure," it said. The statement commended the media, which it said were the eyes and voices of the people and the gauge of their aspirations, wishes and sentiments. It said the media positively reflected the varied and competing views and opinions of Ghanaians and the parties in a balanced and largely professional manner, although a few media outlets sent out unguarded messages and recklessly attacked personalities. "The searchlight of the media, especially during the voting and collation of results, through to the announcement of the final outcome, guaranteed the peace and security of the people's will," it said. The statement noted that notwithstanding a few discordant outbursts and threats from some quarters, the maturity exhibited by the political parties and the presidential candidates in the debates throughout the campaign and the elections deserved the commendation of the GTUC and all working people. It commended Ghanaians for their vigilance and maturity in defending their sovereignty and demonstrating that the will of the people was, indeed, supreme. It said Ghanaians, by their collective effort, demonstrated that nothing was beyond them if they set themselves to go for it. "The objective result of the 2008 elections is clear for all to see - there must be greater co-operation, compromises and consensus-building in our body polity. This is what the outcome of the presidential and parliamentary elections unequivocally demonstrated," it stated. The statement urged political parties and politicians to take note of that and let it guide their actions for the greater good of Ghana. It expressed the GTUC's view that Ghana's democracy was growing from strength to strength and the electorate was becoming more discerning and mature. "Our people have demonstrated in no uncertain terms that the sovereignty of Ghana, indeed, resides in them and that the powers of government are to be exercised for their welfare," it said. It noted that politicians had overnight become aware that they were accountable to the people and that those who fail to meet their legitimate and reasonable expectations will not receive their mandate to rule. Source: Daily Graphic