20100926
Nation

Nairobi — Political intolerance is growing by the day and this has caused prominent Ghanaians to call the main players in the country's politics to order.

Apart from minor clashes among rival political groupings, recent riots at Atiwa and Akwatia, both in the eastern region as well as Cheriponi in the northern region following Parliamentary by-elections has forced the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative (CHRAJ), Mr Justice Emile Short, to say such violence poses a threat to the country's growing democracy.

Political analysts agree and say if events following the Atiwa riots is anything to go by, then, as the country prepares for elections in 2012, so much work needs to be done to avoid political violence.

The two leading political parties, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the main opposition, New Patriotic Party (NPP) have accused each other of master-minding the riots that erupted during and after the elections.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) reported on the day of the by-elections on August 31 that, two journalists; Mr Edward Gawuga, the Eastern Regional correspondent of Accra-based FM station, Radio Gold, and Mr Takyi Boateng, cameraman of Graphic Communication Group, were allegedly beaten by some supporters of the NPP.

NDC's representative Anthony Gyampoh, accused the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Owusu Afriyie of urging the youth of the area to use "whatever means at their disposal to prevent people who are not from the area from entering the community during the election."

Mr Gyampoh said, it was in line with this that NPP activists in the constituency mounted road blocks in towns.