ADR practitioners in a group photograph
The Ghana National Association of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Practitioners (GNAAP) has called on the government to make ADR part of the country’s electoral process.
GNAAP President, Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, who made this known at the 11th annual general conference of the association held in Accra, said it will help avoid conflicts that have become associated with electoral processes.
“ADR must become part of the country’s electoral process. A major feature of our democratic dispensation is the right to freely elect our political leaders based on competitive partisan approach which is sometimes associated with suspicion, acrimony and violent conflicts,” he said.
He said ADR which is premised on historical principles of reconciliation is a time tested social cohesion instrument that must be promoted to avoid occurrences of conflicts.
According to Mr. Owusu-Koranteng, GNAAP expects this year’s elections to be conducted based on the principles of transparency, free and open access to voting, secret ballot where all citizens will have the right to vote without discrimination.
He said as ADR practitioners, they would ensure they turn conflicts situations into peaceful environment by turning ‘swords into ploughshares’ while charging political parties and its leaders to make electoral peace a major focus in their political campaigns for this year’s elections.
Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council, George Amoo, said since the enactment of the ADR Act in 2010 to provide justice especially for the less privileged and expedites settlement of disputes through arbitration among others; the court is still inundated with many cases which could be resolved through ADR.
He said it was therefore imperative that businesses and governance experts use the various mechanisms of ADR which offers significant benefits as mediation in all human relationship.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah