Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has called on the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to always consider the interest of the nation first whenever there is a national issue.
PPP’s call follows post-election violent attacks allegedly perpetuated by the some supporters of the ruling government.
In a statement signed and issued to the media over the weekend by the National Chairman of the PPP, Nii-Allotey Brew-Hammond, he said:
“Ghana has been hailed by the International Community and Civil Society Organisations for organising a peaceful election and ensuring a smooth transition from an incumbent President to a newly elected President.
…As the beacon of hope in Africa, this has consolidated our democratic credentials—an enviable feat Ghanaians must pride themselves in. Indeed, we must hold ourselves in high esteem and should be celebrating this remarkable achievement.”
The PPP in the statement lamented the recent post-election violent attacks on innocent Ghanaians and state properties.
These unfortunate incidents, the PPP said, have taken the shine off this remarkable democratic achievement.
“It is reported that two NDC loyalists have died from post-election violence and that such attacks worsened after the new President had been sworn-in on January 7, 2017,” the statement said.
It, therefore, wondered why some alleged supporters of the NPP should attack their political opponents and vandalise state properties simply because their party has won political power?
The statement subsequently asked: “Why are they engaging in this act of violence when we have engaged law enforcers to protect and safeguard our interests?”
The PPP was equally not enthused about the recent comments from leading members of both dominant parties—NPP and NDC—noting that, that can inflame passions.
Instead of calling their supporters to order and working together with the security apparatus to find solution to the problem, the statement asserted that they were rather engaging in intense politicking, and encouraging their supporters to become unruly.
“While the Acting National Chairman of the NPP is reported, rather sadly, to have defended and backed the indecent act of his party supporters as “protecting state properties,” National Chairman of the NDC at a press conference absolved the NDC counter attacks, and further advanced the argument that NDC lawbreakers should not be blamed for reprisal attacks emanating from “the beastly conduct of the Akufo-Addo Invincible Forces,” the PPP pointed out.
According to the statement, the intemperate language of these two political leaders was “unacceptable and unbefitting for cohesion.”
In the PPP’s opinion, those comments were threat to national security and national development.
“These worrisome trends – socially unconstructive behaviour – if encouraged, can only reflect the perpetrators assessment of their future economic prospects as uncertain and lead to a belief that Ghana is out of control. This attitude can pose a threat to the development of competence and character among today’s youth who may find crime as an alternate source of income that promises greater short-term financial gains than employment,” the statement said.
It added: “We are by this statement sounding a word of caution to the leadership of the two parties, especially the NPP, because it is in power, to call their supporters to order. Ghana does not belong to NDC or NPP. We should not sit aloof for the two parties to plunge the country into chaos.”
“As a law-abiding political party, we condemn the attacks and call on the security apparatus to bring the perpetrators to book. We commiserate with the victims of the attacks, and assure Ghanaians that the PPP will do everything within its powers to help stop this nastiness, if we are to create a just and disciplined society with a passion for excellence,” the statement concluded.
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