The seven Presidential candidates contesting the 2016 elections are set to meet on Thursday, just five days before the keenly contested polls and sign an accord pledging their commitment to a peace deal.
According to an agreement reached between the Economic Community on West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations and the major parties, each candidate would append their signature to an accord to work towards a peaceful and open election.
“The ECOWAS, the Commonwealth and the United Nations call on all the presidential candidates to commit to participate in the December 1, 2016 event, and to take the responsibility to contribute towards non-violent, transparent and credible elections,”the statement said.
“They are however pleased to learn that the Presidential candidates had agreed to attend a session with the Electoral Commission on implementation of the reforms and the transparency of the electoral processes on December 1, 2016.”
“The signing of the peace accord on that occasion will be an important public reaffirmation of the candidates’ commitment to peaceful elections on December 7.” the statement concluded.
The December 7 elections, set to be one of the keenly contested since the advent of the Fourth Republic, would be contested between seven candidates – the NDC’s John Dramani Mahama, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party, Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the Convention People’s Party and Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party.
The rest are Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings of the Democratic National Party, Dr Edward Mahama of the People’s National Convention and Joseph Osei Yeboah, an Independent Candidate.