The National Peace Council (NPC) has indicated that the political campaigning banter between the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party over the willingness or otherwise of the latter to hand over power should not invoke any fears among the populace.
Ashanti Regional Executive Director of the NPC, Rev. Emmanuel Badu Amoah who gave the assurances in an interview on the Ultimate Breakfast Show indicated that the vitriolic statements are only early warning indicators which the Council has taken notice of.
He told host Julius Caesar Anadem that the complaints were necessary elements that feeds the response mechanisms of the Peace Council and its stakeholders.
“The political parties are talking but nobody should be afraid. I am happy that these issues are happening. It is better that we are not harboring all these things to bring them up during the elections,” he assured.
His comments come on the back of a back and forth between elements of the NDC and the NPP who have virtually been on a verbal showdown about holding on to power at all cost daring each other about their bravery and ability to resist any threats from opponents.
The National Democratic Congress has for instance outlined six demands including an investigation into the killing of some electorates during the 2020 elections; an order for the Electoral Commission, the police, and the Attorney General to sign the peace pact among others; before they will append their signatures to any electioneering year peace pact as all parties have done in previous national elections.
The NDC has also questioned the moral right of the National Peace Council to demand peace when the NPC according to the party has not reacted decisively to injustices and provocations from their opponents.
Rev. Badu Amoah however argued that the Peace Council could not be pressured to make hasty statements at the peril of its integrity when it has not independently verified all its facts and gathered enough data to make any conclusive statements.
“With the approach of the peace council, we don’t react and that is why people say we are sitting idle. We analyze the conflict with the scientific data and that takes time. If we follow the people and later they say this is what we said, we lose our integrity,” he pointed out.
He referred to an election 2020 campaigning incident where it was reported that a rally of the then President John Dramani Mahama in Ejisu had been disrupted with the pelting of stones, an incident which provoked the party’s regional secretariat to write a statement threatening to visit same on the NPP’s flag bearer.
“With our scientific data gathering and information, we went there to find out that it was political party members who were pelting stones among themselves and the president was not even around at that time. He was in Juabeng,” he recalled.
He indicated that the National Peace Council is ready to take up all the concerns with surety that all parties involved in the presidential and parliamentary elections are committed to a peaceful election.
“The moment someone complains or alleges either reported or perceived, it is an early warning indicator. It is only telling us that stakeholders need to get working.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ivan Heathcote – Fumador
