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The National Peace Council (NPC) has asked for the support of stakeholders in efforts to ensure peaceful general elections free from violence.
He said that violence perpetrated by vigilante groups affiliated with the party had become a major threat to Ghana’s democracy and the nation’s peace, hence the need to work as a team to eliminate canker.
A member of the NPC Governing Board, Osei Yaw Owusu Sekyere, made the call at an awareness workshop on advocacy against vigilantism in Ghana, held in Bibiani in the North Western Region.
The program, organized by the Western Regional Peace Council, with the support of the Danish Embassy, brought together representatives of the two main political parties; the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress, religious groups, the Municipal Assembly, the Police, the National Commission for Civic Education, the Electoral Commission and the Media.
Sekyere said politically motivated violence had become a worrying trend and called for concerted efforts by each and every one to help combat it.
He cited the violence of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections, which awakened the nation to the reality of the dangers of vigilantism, and the establishment of the Emile Short Commission, which gave rise to the Vigilantism and Related Crimes Act of 2019 (Act 999). ), to give legal backing to the fight against the threat.
Mr. Sekyere therefore urged the participants and all stakeholders to support the regional and national peace councils to ensure a very peaceful and violence-free general election.
Atta Frimpong, Senior Deputy Director of the Bibiani-Ahwiaso-Bekwai Municipal Assembly, urged political party officials to use decent language during campaigns so as not to ignite passion and cause chaos and advised young people to stay away from the violence.
He tasked the workshop participants to educate the public to behave before, during and after the elections in order to preserve the peace of the constituency and of Ghana in general.
Messrs. Kojo Impraim, Deputy Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Damien Asobayire, Western Regional Executive Secretary, both from the APN, led the participants through topics such as: Roadmap for the eradication of political vigilantism in Ghana , Code of conduct for political parties, and the Law on vigilantes and related crimes (Law 999).
Abigail Amponsah, also from the NPC, led participants through early warning signs and hot spots to observe, implementation / action plan, and training of monitoring teams.
Later, in an open forum, the participants unanimously expressed their commitment to partner
Regional Peace Council to sensitize the public about the importance of a climate of peace before, during and after the elections.
