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The National Democratic Congress (NDC), which is an opposition party, said it would not retreat to justice, apart from the commission charged with investigating the violence that sullied the country. Partial election of the constituency of Ayawaso West.
The NDC, in a statement released Friday by the secretary general, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said their position was reinforced by the fact that President Akufo-Addo had already prejudged "isolated" from the incident.
"The position of the NDC is very simple.This commission Emile Short is a non-starter on the basis of its composition, its obvious political color and the balance of the president," said the statement.
He went on to say that "the Commission's favorites will in no way draw conclusions contrary to its earlier statements".
Read the full statement below:
The NDC takes note of the creation of an investigative commission in response to the local and international outcry that followed the outrageous badault on democracy during the by-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon on January 31, 2019. It is gratifying that the power of people have – for once, under the current administration – outweighed the whims of the executive. However, we remain skeptical as to the seriousness with which justice will be rendered under the mandate of an Emile Short Commission.
Many hoped that the President's response to the people's request would have recognized the widespread expectation of a neutral membership. Instead, we are presented with a Commission consisting of a list of former members of former NPP administrations, some of whom are in conflict through their intimate relationships with practicing Cabinet members.
The Chair must take note that the appearance of political bias in a case such as this has the same effect on public confidence as its actuality. This concern is reiterated by the established record of presidential interference in similar investigations and by subsequent resolution of even the most obvious breaches to public confidence.
We will persist in our vigilance in favor of the Ghanaian people and their republic and will insist unreservedly on the fact that there is already ample evidence to bring criminal charges against the perpetrators of the chaos.
We will not participate in any attempt to obscure the pursuit of justice by introducing irrelevant and irrelevant cases for equalization purposes, or by abusing the inherent immunities granted under Chapter 23 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana to protect offenders criminal proceedings. .
The public facts of the case point to criminal aggression and flagrant violation of the civil rights of innocent citizens; a subsequent attempt by senior officials to deceive the Ghanaian people; and a concerted attempt to justify and conceal atrocities. This is not a simple guess. Our position rests on public statements by the State Minister for National Security, Bryan Acheampong, who explicitly admitted the use of armed thugs under the National Security Council facade.
The men were filmed by several news outlets arriving in Ghanaian police vehicles and escorting them. This implies, at the very least, co-opting by the State Minister for National Security of police personnel and equipment. Even worse, it highlights the complicity of the Inspector General of Police and senior Ghanaian police in this flagrant violation of the rights of Ghanaian citizens.
It should be noted that the events on which the investigation is to be based are clearly different from past incidents observed in previous by-elections. This is not about vigilance. Acts of overzealous rogue elements committed by one party or the other in the past can not be equated with the confession of the Hon. Bryan Acheampong, who returns to use state terrorism as a tool of political advantage.
In any case, President Akufo-Addo has already prejudged the incident as being "isolated" just as he has rendered the Commission's outcome. There is no way for this Commission of its favorites to draw conclusions that contradict its earlier statements. The President has not seen fit to request the resignation of the State Minister for National Security or the Inspector General of Police. They remain in office and are clearly engaged in a concealment operation involving the transfer of senior police investigators and the deliberate obscuring of the identity and location of the perpetrators of the Ayawaso violence. January 31st.
The position of the NDC is very simple. This committee of Emile Short is a non-runner on the basis of its composition, its obvious political color and the antecedents of the president.
We will not be deterred by the pursuit of justice outside the Commission.
SGD.
JOHNSON ASIEDU NKETIA
GENERAL SECRETARY
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