STATEMENT: Politicians Inciting The Youth To Perpetrate Electoral Violence

The year 2012 is a very critical year in the Ghanaian political history by virtue of the fact that it is an election year. By and large, the elections are drawing closer and the tension in the political landscape as expected is on the ascendancy. Ghanaians in December will go to the polls to elect a new president and parliamentarians to manage the affairs of the state for another four years. In the wake of the heated political campaigns by the various political parties to canvass for votes, the �youth� who fall between the ages of 18 to 45 are relied on or for want of a better word, used as �tools� to achieve this aim. The role of the youth in campaigning for political parties has not been too positive in the past years under the fourth republic. The youth have been accused all over the place for engaging in violent acts during political parties� campaign and on voting days. The youth have been accused of stealing ballot boxes with ballot papers, creating confusion at polling stations among others. It is always alleged by one party or the other that their opponents are training groups of people as commandos to create confusion at polling stations and at political rallies. Looking at the issues discussed above, one question that comes to mind is, who are those using the youth to create all these violence? What motivates the youth to engage in violence in politics? The bible clearly makes us understand in Luke 17: 1 that �it is impossible but that offences will come: but woe onto him through whom they come�. Most often than not, politicians who accuse the youth of violence claim that the leaders in the other camp are behind the violent activities. Disgruntled youth whose wishes were not fulfilled by their bosses (politicians) also come out to accuse their bosses of being behind their violent conduct. Apart from politicians being alleged to clandestinely supporting violent acts by the youth in their parties, politicians are sometimes seen or heard making statements that can incite the youth to perpetrate violence against their opponents.