The "Regional Election Early Warning and Response Group" (REEWARG) on Monday, August 8, at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi has been launched by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the National Peace Council, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The Ashanti Regional Peace Council will host the group. Primarily, the group's objective is to discuss, develop and recommend strategies to mollify threats to the peaceful conduct of the 2016 polls at the regional level. At the launch, the Ashanti regional minister, Honorable John Alexander Ackon; Chair of the National Peace Council, Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante; and the USAID representative, Ms. Nana Serwah Amoako, expressed allegiance to brace the Group's efforts to strengthen early response to threats around the elections and reduce the potential for conflict.

At the event launch, U.S representative, Nana Serwah Amoako noted that Ghana's democracy is credential. "Ghana has been applauded for upholding succsseful elections for many years; however, we must not be complacent, but remain vigilant of the risks of instability in the upcoming elections."

The Group will convene stakeholders from around the region, including representatives from the Ashanti Regional Peace Council and prominent persons from relevant state and non-state institutions, to complement government efforts in the prevention and mitigation of election-related violence.

BY: KANDEY .H. ALHASSAN