The National Chairman of the Inter-Party Youth Committee (IPYC), Mr Ludwig Hlodze , has noted that the safety, security and survival of Ghana should be the paramount objective of all stakeholders in election 2012.

Mr Hlodze said as everyone worked harder towards soliciting votes for their respective candidates, the safety, security and survival of the country should be the principal aim. ?As young men and women of Ghana, we should be more concerned about the outcome of Election 2012 and work towards peaceful campaign before, during and after the elections.

Mr Hlodze, who is also the National Youth Organiser of National Democratic Congress (NDC), made the observation at a press conference in Accra to inform Ghanaians that the youth, represented by IPYC, have adopted a peace project to change the face of political activities. The press conference was on the theme: ?Sustaining Peace Before, During and After Election 2012; The Role of IPYC.

Mr Hlodze said as young people who had a major stake in the continuous survival and the peace of the country, they deemed it fit to rise to the challenge to stem the tide of the increasing pre-election violence and re-direct the path of electioneering.

He said the committee, made up of National Youth Organisers of four major political parties, namely the NDC, New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention People?s Party (CPP) and People?s National Convention (PNC), had resolved that their campaign messages would be focused on peace building and national development rather than on insults, intemperate language, provocative statements and incitement against ethnic groups, or religious sects in Ghana.

Election 2012 should come and go without the loss of any life or property in the name of partisan politics. The election should come and go just like any public event and we the youth must ensure that peace prevails before, during and after the general election, he said.

Mr Hlodze noted that as part of activities towards engendering collaboration among all the political parties, the youth organisers would be touring the country to preach the message of peace and peaceful campaigns. In addition, they would pay courtesy calls on the flagbearers of the various political parties to discuss with them, on behalf of the youth of the country, the need to promote peaceful electioneering. ?Furthermore, we would equally seek audience with former President Jerry John Rawlings and President John Agyekum Kufuor, to formally announce to them the Peace Project and solicit their support to promote peaceful elections in Ghana.

Mr Hlodze expressed appreciation to the organisers, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), for collaborating with the youth organisers of the parties, towards peaceful elections. Mrs Daniella Kuzu, Resident Director of FES, said the institution was alarmed by the level, degree and frequency of intolerance among political parties in the run up to the parliamentary and presidential elections.

Mrs Kuzu said the spate of hate speeches currently dominating the political discourse was a wrong trend which could result in conflicts. She said about 65 per cent of the voter population was the youth, and it was important to reach out to them since they were those used to foment trouble by politicians.

She said the goal of the project was to bring youth organisers of the four political parties with representation in Parliament together to assure Ghanaians that they were working together in ensuring that the nation was not torn apart by intolerance and violent political opposition.