NPP and NDC agreed to eliminate militancy – Peace Council

General News on Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-04-09

The two main political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have stressed the need to end the activities of political self-defense groups in the country.

That was the conclusion of the first day of the dialogue to end the militancy of the National Peace Council.

The NPP and the NDC, among others, have also agreed to end the property. hiring and use of militia and militia groups by political members.

The chair of today's meeting [Tuesday] At the meeting, Professor SKB Asante told the media: "After an open and exhaustive debate, the parties agreed that the vigilance system is hostile to the Ghanaian system and must be eradicated … Significantly, both parties agreed to initiate deliberations to:

1. Dissolve vigilante groups operating in political parties or for political purposes.

2. prohibit the ownership, hiring or use of such groups by political parties or their members;

3. Cooperate with government agencies and stakeholders for the total eradication of these groups or the impact of militancy in the country. "

In a statement signed by the President of the NPP and the NDC, MM. Freddie Blay and Samuel Ofosu Ampofo respectively revealed that both parties had agreed to cooperate also with the relevant government agencies to ensure the dissolution of all these groups.

The National Peace Council invited both parties to this meeting, following the president's call to bring them together to resolve the problem of the vigilance of political parties in the country.

The meeting took place at the Central Hotel, near the British High Commission in Accra.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide both factions with the opportunity to present a number of proposals and modalities to dissolve the vigilante groups.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, in her speech on the state of the nation of 2019, called on the leaders of the two main political parties to meet in order to find a lasting solution to political vigilance.

This situation followed tension during the by-election in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency, during which the government was accused of engaging in state-sponsored political violence.

These tensions led to the creation of an investigative commission to investigate the violence that marred the by-election.

Prior to the incident of Ayawaso West Wuogon, the past two years had been marked by acts of violence perpetrated by self-defense groups.

President Akufo-Addo also said that he would consider legislation to end political vigilance if the dialogue did not lead to any positive results.

He then instructed the Attorney General to prepare the bill.