The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has expressed disappointment at the leadership of the two main political parties — the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) — over their failure to come together and find lasting solutions to the political violence that has plagued the country’s democracy.
The party stated that it was shocked that since the call was made for the two parties to come together to address the issue of political vigilantism, the leadership of the two parties had done nothing except engaging in exchanges that had brought no results.
“In the recent exchange of open letters between the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Chairman of the NDC, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, on a proposed meeting between their two parties to settle the crimes of organised political violence, the PPP has noticed with disappointment the boastful posture of the NDC and NPP over our fragile democracy,” a statement issued by the PPP stated.
The statement was signed by the party’s National Chairman, Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond.
Background
At a recent State of the Nation Address, President Akufo-Addo made a call to the leadership of the NPP and the NDC to agree on appropriate measures to bring an end to the unacceptable and worrying trend of party vigilantism in the country.
The call followed violent acts that took place during the by-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon.
After the call was made, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo, in a letter, stated that the NDC was “aware that the Commission [of Enquiry tasked to probe the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence] established clearly that elements of the vigilante groups apparently sponsored by your party have already been absorbed into the national security system”.
Responding to the NDC’s letter, President Akufo-Addo said in a letter dated March 4, 2019, that the assertion by the opposition party was not true.
“Firstly, contrary to your assertion, no evidence has been established at the ongoing Short Commission about the sponsorship by the New Patriotic Party of vigilantes into the national security system. No such sponsorship has taken place, and none will take place.
In any event, it is surely prejudicial to the work of the commission for citizens to start drawing conclusions on the material before the commission, prior to the commission making its own findings and recommendations on the matter,” President Akufo-Addo noted.
Source: Graphic.com
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SECURITY REQUIRES LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT AND NOT JUST DIALOGUE OF GOODWILL. THE CALL OF SOME POLITICIAN TO INVOLVE ECOWAS, UN OR WHOEVER FOR MEDIATION SHOWS CLEARLY THAT THOSE WHO MADE THE CALL ARE NOT SERIOUSSS. NO SECURITY IS OBTAIN ON A SILVER PLATTER. HOW CAN ONE DIALOGUE ON DIALOGUE ON ROBBERY AND STEALING. VIGILANTISM WAS ORIGINALLY STARTED BY NDC IN 1990s TO ROB AND STEAL PEOPLE'S FREEDOM AND RIGHTS AT ELECTIONS. IN REACTION NPP STARTED THEIR OWN TO CHALLENGE THE INTIMIDATION OF NDC VIGILANTISM. UNFORTUNATELY BOTH VIGILANTISM IN NDC AND NPP HAS BECOME DIFFICULT TO MANGED WITHIN THEIR PARTY. IT ALSO USED BEYOND ELECTIONS TO CAUSE INSECURITY TO ALL EVEN WITHIN THEIR OWN PARTIES. CALL FOR DIALOGUE TO DISBAND VIGILANTISM IS NOT ENOUGH SINCE NDC WHO STARTED THE RECENT VIGILANTISM WOULD APPEAR TO AGREE ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT IN POWER NOW. IF IT IS NOT OUTLAWED AND, GOD FORBID, AFTER 30 OR 40 YEARS THEY COME BACK TO POWER THEY WILL RESURRECT VIGILANTISM. IF IT IS NOW OUTLAWED THEN WE CAN AT ALL TIMES CHALLENGE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO ENFORCE IT IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO IS IN POWER. SO MANY LESSONS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM EMIL SHORT COMMISSION TO APPLY TO FORMULATE THE LAW TO DISBAND VIGILANTISM. THE BAN MUST INCLUDE THE USE OF MOTOR BIKES ON ELECTION DAY AND AMASSING OF PEOPLE THAT CAN BE SUSPECTED TO BE A GANG TO CAUSE MAYHEM. ON BY-ELECTION PARTIES SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE MPS WHO DIE FROM THEIR PARTIES WITHIN TWO YEARS FROM GENERAL ELECTION. VACANT SEATS AFTER TWO YEARS FROM GENERAL ELECTION SHOULD BE MADE TO REMAIN VACANT TILL THE FOLLOWING GENERAL ELECTION.
We, readers are rather disappointment at the refusal/failure of the leader and founder of your party (GCFM and GN bank) to refund our investments and savings we made with him. You better urge him to find lasting solutions to the mess that has plagued GCFM and GN bank.