Regional and constituency executives of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been advised to bury their political differences and see each other as one people and nation builders, as Election 2020 draws nearer.
This will help deepen the prevailing national peace and consolidate the gains of Ghana's fledgling democracy.
Mrs Evelyn Ama Kumi Richardson, the Bono Regional Minister, said this when she interacted with the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Executives of the NDC at a meeting in Sunyani on Wednesday.
Accompanied by the members of the Bono Regional Security Council and Management of the Bono Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), Mrs Richardson said her visit was to introduce the Councils to the NDC executives.
It also enabled her to rally support from the NDC executives towards the implementation of government's policies and programmes to facilitate rapid socio-economic development of the new region.
She said she would also identify the various offices and visit regional branches of the other minor political parties as soon as possible.
Mrs Richardson said though the NPP and the NDC had and believed in varied political philosophies, ideologies and opinions, this did not "make us enemies", saying since time immemorial ethnic and religious tolerance and intermarriages had united Ghanaians as lovely and hospitable people.
She said as the 2020 Elections drew nearer, supporters of the two major political parties must learn great lessons from what election violence has done to other nations in Africa and avoid tendencies that had the potential to trigger violence and disturb national peace.
The Regional Minister said government was on course and has laid solid foundations for national reconstruction processes and rallied the support of the NDC executives towards the implementation of its social intervention programmes so as to bring the development of the nation to the next level.
Mrs Richardson said the RCC was not a representative of a particular political party, but to all social classes of people irrespective of one's political party affiliations adding that the doors of the RCC are always open to all for ideas and initiatives that would push forward development.
She commended the NDC leadership for successful parliamentary primaries and congratulated the parliamentary candidates and advised them to conduct their campaigns in a decorous manner.
Describing the Regional Minister's visit as historic, Mr Dennis Twumasi Yeboah, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Secretary of the NDC, said as a prerequisite tool for development, the NDC cherished peace and was not in any position to disturb the prevailing national peace and social cohesion.
He urged the Minister to ensure that the various Municipal and District Chief Executives would replicate similar meetings at the constituency levels saying the various constituencies remain strong pillars of the two major political parties.
Mr Yeboah said the NDC has prepared adequately to capture political power from the NPP, and the party leadership would not sit unconcern to allow trouble makers to cause confusion and political violence to mar Election 2020.