A member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and private legal practitioner, Kwame Jantuah has downplayed the significance of the recently signed peace pact, arguing that it is insufficient to guarantee peace before, during, and after the elections.
Mr. Jantuah believes that fostering electoral peace should be a sustained process managed by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) well in advance of the election.
“Discussions and conversations regarding electoral peace should have started six months before, undertaken by the NCCE in conjunction with the political parties,” he stated.
Speaking on Starr FM Weekly Review Segment with Naa Dedei Tettey, Mr. Jantuah cited past electoral violence, suggesting that the causes are more complex than simply a lack of commitment to peace. He argued that the fairness of the Electoral Commission and its processes are key determinants of a peaceful election.
“Just signing a peace pact, really and truly, I don’t think stops fomenting problems. Signing a paper does not stop the fomenting of violence,” he claimed.
Mr. Jantuah expressed hope that Ghana would reach a point where peace pacts are unnecessary because the understanding of peaceful elections is widespread.
“We want to get to a point where we don’t need to sign a peace pact; everybody understands what it means by having a peaceful election,” he said.
This statement comes after the National Peace Council facilitated a peace pact signing event on Thursday, November 28th, 2024, at the Kempinski Hotel, where presidential candidates pledged to uphold peace before, during, and after the election. This event follows a tradition established under the 1992 Constitution to promote peaceful elections.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/John Bodza
