Association of Electoral Commissioners in Africa urges Ghana on

Mr Ahmed Issack Hassan, Chairman of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), an association made up of heads of electoral commissions in Africa, on Thursday appealed to Ghanaians to show the world once again that democracy had gained root in the country. This, he said, would not only let Ghana maintain the respect gained among the international community, but would also continue to set the pace for other African countries to follow suit. Speaking when members of the association paid a courtesy call on former President Jerry John Rawlings at his Ridge residence, Mr Hassan expressed satisfaction with the electoral process in the country and the confidence Ghanaians had in the Electoral Commission. He called for free and fair elections in order to let the results be acceptable to all concerned and avoid troubles. He said the members of the association were in Ghana to monitor the electoral processes due to the successes the country had chalked over the years. Mr Hassan, who is also the Electoral Commissioner for Kenya, urged the media to be circumspect in their reportage in order to avoid conflicts as happened in Kenya and other African countries. �Taking a cue from Kenya, I would urge the media to avoid reports which tend to look down on ethnic groups, tribes and religion as they are very sensitive areas�, he advised. Former President Rawlings expressed satisfaction about the presence of the group in the country to monitor the polls and urged them to learn whatever they could about the elections before leaving. He expressed hope about the successful organisation of the elections and urged Ghanaians to once more show the world that the country had come of age. He called for a free and fair elections as Ghanaians would only accept free, fair and transparent results.