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General news for Friday, December 4, 2020
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
2020-12-04
Former President John Dramani Mahama
The presidential candidate of the opposition Democratic National Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has cast doubt on the ability of the incumbent government to oversee a peaceful electoral process on December 7.
Citing previous violent incidents that have not been addressed, Mahama said the government lacks the will to address the problems of violence.
“Recent events under the current president have created many moments of doubt about the ability of this administration to conduct peaceful and nonviolent elections.”
“The Ayawaso West Wuogon events are fresh in our minds. The administration’s refusal to punish those involved in attacking an honorable member of Parliament and injuring dozens of people continues to be one of the darkest days in our democratic history, ”he said in the III Peace Pact between the two main political parties before the elections.
Mahama also promised to guarantee peace and preserve the stability of Ghana during the general elections.
“It is my prayer that, despite our deepest fears, we will be proven wrong and that Ghana will once again be shown to be the beacon of democracy in Africa. We’ve done it before and we can do it again! Let’s exorcise the ghost of Ayawaso West Wuogon on Monday. “
Read the full address by President John Dramani Mahama below:
Good morning my brothers and sisters.
Peace be with you – As-salamu alaykum.
As we finish our campaigns tomorrow and prepare to vote on Monday, I am committed to ensuring peace and preserving the stability of our beloved nation.
Elections are about counting heads, not cutting off heads. And so we will work for peace.
I urge law enforcement agencies, voters, and all stakeholders to ensure law and order. We expect to see all security personnel deployed for the elections in uniform and with visible identification tags.
Let us strive to prevent the violence of the past, particularly as seen in early 2019 during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections, which to date have gone unpunished.
Ladies and gentlemen, our country is at a critical moment in history. Never has the lives of so many depended on the power of a thumb.
Now more than ever, we need the institutions of our democracy to work impartially to achieve a fair, transparent and national-interest result.
The Electoral Commission, the Judiciary, the Security Services, and the media have the future of our nation in their hands.
The United States of America has given us an example, where the institutions of democracy have defended the constitution despite severe verbal and legal attacks by a losing incumbent.
Will our institutions behave the same in a similar situation? Recent events under the current president have generated many moments of doubt about the ability of this administration to conduct peaceful and nonviolent elections.
The Ayawaso West Wuogon events are fresh in our minds.
The administration’s refusal to sanction those involved in assaulting an honorable Member of Parliament and injuring dozens of people remains one of the darkest days in our democratic history.
The reckless comments by leading members of the ruling party that the unfortunate events in Ayawaso West Wuogun were just a dress rehearsal for the actual elections do not inspire confidence for the holding of a peaceful election.
A subsequent intervention by the Peace Council led the two main parties to sign an agreement of 22 deliverables. Of these 22 deliverables, 18 depended on the government.
As far as I know, the government has not signed the agreement.
The loss of three lives in the course of a regular voter registration exercise is also cause for concern.
The military siege of the Volta region and elsewhere during the registration exercise created an intimidating atmosphere akin to a nation at war.
But we are optimistic. Faced with similar doubts in the past, Ghanaians have risen to the occasion and held peaceful elections.
It is my prayer that, despite our deepest fears, we are proven wrong and that Ghana is once again proven to be the beacon of democracy in Africa.
We’ve done it before and we can do it again!
Let’s exorcise the ghost of Ayawaso West Wuogon on Monday.
I am John Dramani Mahama and I defend peace.
May there be peace in Ghana before, during and after the elections.
God bless us all.
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