Protect Peace Before, During And After Elections- Asantehene Urges Political Parties

The Asantehene, Otumfuor Osei Tutu has urged the various political parties to ensure that, they protect the peace in the country before and during the elections and also after the elections are conducted.

The Asantehene made this call after the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia called on the Asantehene to seek his permission and blessings before embarking on his four-day tour of the Ashanti Region.

The Asantehene commended the Vice President for the path his party had chosen and restated his call on stakeholders to focus on issues ahead of the elections.

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, speaking at the gathering, assured the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II that, the governing New Patriotic Party is committed to a peaceful campaign towards this year’s elections, as well as a peaceful process for the election itself.

While seeking the blessing of the Asantehene to start his campaign tour, Dr. Bawumia told the Asantehene the NPP’s 2020 campaign is focused on communicating the party’s inclusive development and interventions in the past three and half years, as well as the government’s forward-marching message for the next four years.

“Your Majesty, I am here this morning to seek your permission and blessing before I start my tour of the Ashanti Region.

“Our mission is to spread the message of the good works the Akufo-Addo government has done in the past three and half years, and also tell the people our good policies for the next 4 years, which we believe they will listen and give us 4 more years to do more.”

The Vice President then added that, the 2020 general election is a contest of ideas, and not war, and assured the Asantehene of the NPP’s resolve to stick to that by focusing on the NPP’s development-oriented messages.

“The election is not war. It is a contest of ideas and that is what we are doing; to tell Ghanaians what we have done and what we will do for them.”

Dr.Bawumia was accompanied by government and NPP party officials, including Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly head Osei Asibey Antwi, Deputy Minister for Education Yaw Osei Adutwum and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP Bernard Antwi Boasiako.

 Prior to the Vice President’s visit to the Ashanti region, current flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa also paid a courtesy call on the Ashantehene to officially introduce himself to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as the New Patriotic Party’s presidential candidate ahead of the December elections, and to seek his blessings for the contest.

Also, as part of his visit, the President introduced all of the party’s forty-seven (47) parliamentary candidates from the Ashanti Region, and appealed for the support of the Asantehene and Asanteman so the party can annex the three remaining constituencies, Asawase, Ejura Sekyedumase, and Sekyere Afram Plains, which eluded the party in the December 2016 polls.

He also revealed plans of funding the construction of the Boankra Inland Port Project with $300 million dollars.