President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has rubbished calls by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for an all-inclusive approach in the curbing of electoral violence in Ghana with specific emphasis on the disbandment of party militias in the country.
According to the president, the request has “little basis” emphasizing that the issue at hand pertains to the two major political parties in the country, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and not the entire body politic of the nation.
A release by the President on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, says he is impressed about the NDC’s readiness to sit with the NPP and find ways to rid the country of vigilantism.
“I am encouraged by the positive nature of the response, indicating your awareness in your own words, that ‘ in principle that a serious national effort be made to address this problem once and for all” … These are encouraging words that reassure the people of Ghana that there is a will to rid our nation of this worrying phenomenon,” President Akufo-Addo said.
But the President said he is surprised by the request by the biggest opposition party for a mediator for the dialogue.
According to him, the demand for a moderator suggests that the two major political parties cannot solve national issues without external intervention.
“I’m dismayed and I believe that the Ghanaian people share my dismay, that the two parties who have dominated and continue to dominate the politics of the Fourth Republic, who between them have garnered at least 95% of votes in each of the seven general elections of the Fourth Republic, who have provided all seven Governments of the Fourth Republic, who are the only parties currently represented in the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic, cannot meet and dialogue on matters of our nation’s governance and political culture without the intervention of outsiders, including foreign entities, no matter how well-meaning,” President Akufo-Addo noted.
In the absence of all these conditions, the President insists the two parties should meet as soon as possible to save the country from the “unnecessary consequences and traumas of vigilantism”.
He, however, said he is ready to provide a venue for the meeting should the parties involved be in need of one.
The NDC had in response to the President’s call for a dialogue between them and the NPP, demanded that “all political parties, civil society organizations, representatives of the media, military, police and other security agencies, as well as other relevant stakeholders” be included in the meeting.
In a letter to the President signed by National Chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu Ampfo, the NDC also requested that the Peace Council be made mediators of the meeting on political vigilante groups.
“…it is only prudent that the call for disbandment is extended to not only the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party but all political parties, civil society organisations, representatives of the media, representatives of the military, police and other security agencies, as well as any other relevant stakeholders.
In addition, in view of the often recurrent mistrust and suspicion that characterize such interactions by political parties, and the pain and suffering that vigilantism may have created especially in the recent past, it is of the utmost importance that a mediator with national credibility be appointed to drive the entire process in that regard, my party, the NDC, propose that the National Peace Council be appointed as the mediator for such a meeting,” the NDC stated in a letter signed by Ofosu Ampofo.
By: Kekeli Kuatsenu/awakenewsonline.com