Go to court like NPP did in the 2012 polls and stop vandalism – Peace Council to NDC

Monday December 21, 2020 Policy

Source: FM class

12/21/2020

The National Peace Council urged the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to call to order its supporters to stop vandalizing and destroying property as they protest and march against the results of the December 7 poll , as stated by the Election Commission.

This follows a series of protests by NDC supporters across the country to voice their rejection of the election results.

Of the 13,119,460 valid votes cast in total, the incumbent, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), received 6,730,587 votes, or 51.302%.

Its closest candidate, the presidential candidate of the largest opposition party, former President John Dramani Mahama, polled 6,213,182, or 47.359%.

The NDC subsequently accused the Election Commission of presenting “flawed” and “rigged” results in favor of President Akufo-Addo.

But the National Peace Council, in a press release issued by its president, Pastor Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, called on the two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to “To enforce the peace documents they signed by calling on their supporters to refrain from acts of violence and vigilance after the December elections”.

The National Peace Council therefore encouraged the NDC, in particular, and anyone with election-related grievances, “to use the processes provided to resolve their electoral disputes.”

The National Peace Council commended the Election Commission for the effective and efficient conduct of the elections.

Read the full statement below:

PRESS STATEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The National Peace Council would like to thank Almighty God for seeing Ghana through the eighth general elections in the Fourth Republic and to congratulate Ghanaians for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections on Monday, December 7, 2020.

We further wish to congratulate the Election Commission for the good work done in ensuring the effectiveness of the biometric devices used during the voting process.

Council thanks all political parties, the National Electoral Security Working Group, international observation missions, national election observers, civil society organization, religious bodies and the media for their independent and objective assessment electoral processes which contributed enormously to the peaceful conduct of the elections.

The virtual absence of political vigilance in the hot spots identified by the police, the Election Commission and the National Peace Council before and after the December 7 elections is commendable. It was indeed a demonstration of the political parties’ commitment to the roadmap and the code of conduct that they signed after the dialogue to eradicate political vigilantism in Ghana.

The National Peace Council nevertheless regrets the pockets of violent incidents, including the protest actions that were recorded during and after the collection and reporting of election results, some of which resulted in injuries and deaths. For example, a joint operations center of the National Election Security Taskforce recorded 61 electoral and post-electoral incidents from December 7 to 9, 2020. Twenty-one (21) of these were election-related violence, including six involving gunfire which unfortunately resulted in the death of some citizens. Some of the constituencies that have recorded violence include Odododiodio, Savelugu, Ablekuma Central, Awutu Senya East, Upper Denkyira and Techiman South.

While expressing our deepest condolences to the bereaved families, we strongly condemn these incidents and call on the police and other investigative bodies to hold the perpetrators to account in accordance with the laws of the land.

In the interest of preserving Ghana’s credentials for peace and democracy, Council calls on all those who challenge the election results to do so within the legal framework and guided by the 1992 Constitution, the Political Parties Act. (2002), case law based on the 2012 Supreme Court election petition and Regulation 127 (CI), among others.

In addition, the National Peace Council wishes to draw the attention of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to their public commitment to peace and non-violence when their presidential candidates before the presidential election of December 7, 2020 & The parliamentary elections signed the Peace Pact on December 4, 2020. It is also worth referring to the warning of His Lordship the Chief Justice at the event, where he has called on all who may have grievances arising from the elections to seek legal redress in court rather than on the streets.

It is in this context that the National Peace Council encourages in particular the NDC and any other politician with grievances to use the planned processes to resolve their electoral disputes.

The Council recalls the recourse to the courts to seek redress when the NPP was not satisfied with the general elections of 2012, which produced rather positive results which led to significant reforms of the electoral system in Ghana. In the same vein, the National Peace Council encourages the NDC to follow its example to deepen our democratic gains rather than taking to the streets; a potential threat that can trigger post-election violence and spoil the entire peaceful electoral process.

Following the above observations, the NPC makes the following recommendations:

The media must be sensitive to a potential escalation of violence and approach their work with caution and professionalism.

The police must apply the laws without fear or favor and investigate all crimes committed to ensure justice. They are encouraged to deal strictly according to the law, with those who may wish to use the genuine concern of the election contestants to stir up trouble in the country.

The Democratic National Congress and the New Patriotic Party should respect the peace documents they signed by calling on their supporters to refrain from acts of violence and vigilance after the December elections.

The Democratic National Congress, in particular, should prevent its supporters from acts of vandalism and destruction and encourage them as to the party’s willingness to resort to legal procedures to address their grievances.

All religious and faith-based organizations should continue to urge their followers to avoid acts of violence and to use non-violent mechanisms to resolve their electoral disputes.

Council calls on the National House of Chiefs and all our respected traditional leaders to condemn any act of violence in their traditional areas to ensure peace after the elections.

Finally, the National Peace Council appeals to the general public to continue to exercise restraint in resolving all outstanding issues in order to preserve peace and stability in Ghana.

God bless our homeland Ghana