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The National Peace Council asks the two main political parties in the country; The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) commit to the roadmap and code of conduct to end political vigilantism in Ghana before the upcoming elections on December 7.
This council follows the recent violent clashes that occurred in the Odododiodoo constituency of the Greater Accra region that left 15 people injured.
In a statement, the Peace Council condemned the acts of violence perpetrated by supporters of the two parties and instructed their leaders to work to guarantee public order in the area.
He also noted that both the PNP and the NDC must “respect the existing legal framework to address the problems of electoral violence. The National Peace Council and its partners urge the leadership of the NDC and the PNP to resort to the mechanisms established in the Code of Conduct to resolve any misunderstandings ”.
Therefore, the Peace Council has asked the parliamentary candidates of the two factions to use the appropriate means to settle their scores.
“The Peace Council also calls on the NDC and NPP parliamentary candidates in the Odododiodio constituency to show leadership. They must use and resort to dialogue to address their political differences, “the statement added. Read the full statement from the Peace Council below:
The National Peace Council, as part of its mandate to facilitate and develop mechanisms for conflict prevention, management resolution and the construction of sustainable peace in Ghana, expresses great concern about the incidence of violence that occurred on Sunday October 25, 2020 in Jamestown in Greater Accra’s Odododiodio constituency. The Peace Council strongly condemns the clashes between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (PNP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a result of a “Walk for Health”, which resulted in riots, violence and shootings with 15 people allegedly affected injured with some hospitalized.
These acts of violence cast a shadow over the upcoming December elections and must be rejected by all, especially in an era in which the main political parties have signed the Code of Conduct and the Roadmap towards the eradication of political and violence-related violence. elections in Ghana. The National Peace Council condemns the violent acts that occurred and calls on the leaders of the NDC and NPP in the Odododiodio District to call their followers to order. Our Observations
After the confrontation in the Odododiodio constituency, the Monitoring Committee of the National Peace Council created to monitor compliance with the Code of Conduct held an emergency meeting in which they debated, analyzed and recommended ways to avoid such threats to the elections December 2020 and beyond. At the meeting, the Committee noted the following:
1. That the NDC and NPP must abide by the Roadmap and Code of Conduct towards the eradication of political vigilantism and the Code of Conduct that they signed as part of their commitments to end political violence in Ghana. It is therefore worrying that both political parties and their supporters continue to participate in acts of electoral violence.
2. That the NDC and the PNP have the duty to respect the existing legal framework to address the problems of electoral violence. The National Peace Council and its partners urge the NDC leadership and the PNP to use the mechanisms established in the Code of Conduct to resolve any misunderstandings.
3. While the National Peace Council commends the Ghana Police Service for the arrests made so far, it is also drawing the attention of the Police to act swiftly on intelligence in constituencies to prevent future the unfortunate situation occurs before the December elections.
Our recommendations
In view of the above, the Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee makes the following recommendations:
1. The National Peace Council continues to remember political parties, especially. NDC and NPP that have publicly subscribed to a roadmap and code of conduct on eradicating all types of political vigilantism and election-related violence. To this end, both the NDC and NPP have publicly stated that political vigilantism is contrary to Ghana’s democratic system and must be eradicated. Consequently, both have committed to: I. Dissolve the self-defense groups that operate for political purposes: II. Prohibit the ownership, hiring or use of said groups by political parties or members thereof; and III. Cooperate with state agencies and interested parties in the total eradication of such vigilantism groups or incidents in the country. Anyone who participates in any vigilante activity acts as a member or subscribes to a vigilante group, violates the provisions of Law 999 and, therefore, commits a crime and is sentenced to a prison sentence of no less than ten . years and no more than fifteen years.
2. The Peace Council urges the NDC and NPP leaders in the Odododiodio Constituency to quickly call their supporters to order to exercise restraint in their actions from now on. 3. The Peace Council also calls on NDC and NPP parliamentary candidates in the Odododiodio constituency to show leadership. They must use and use dialogue to address their political differences.
4. The National Peace Council calls on the Ghana Police Service to be more proactive in responding to potential threats to electoral security. In this regard, the National Peace Council calls on the Inspector General of Police and the Ghana Police Service to rise to the occasion as they usually do. to promptly investigate and prosecute all guilty, to deter others whose actions and inactions have the potential to derail the peace of the country before, during and after the 2020 general election. Police should always be guided by their motto “Service with integrity ”to ensure that human lives and property are protected by enforcing laws without fear or favor.
5. The Peace Council calls on Ghanaians, especially party supporters, to refrain from resorting to violence to resolve their political differences. While the National Peace Council campaigns for peace, citizens must appreciate that peacebuilding is teamwork and must do their part by refusing to use violence and rather by going through legal processes to resolve their differences. . conclusion
The National Peace Council reminds all citizens, especially the youth, to demonstrate patriotism and zeal in building a peaceful nation. The future of Ghana is in your hands and you must safeguard this future by avoiding violence of all kinds.
Thank you and God bless our homeland Ghana.
