Opinions of Saturday, 17 August 2024
Columnist: Osei Kofi Acquah
We the CPP agree with Mr Asiedu Nketiah on his decision not to sign the peace pact.
We believe he or any political leader should not commit himself or herself and their party to an agreement they cannot keep.
The incidents that lies ahead leading to the 7th December elections is not certain and it will only be a rushed decision on the part of any opposition party to say that WE WILL ACCEPT THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTIONS NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS
For political parties to wholly accept the outcome of election 2024, we should see the following.
1. The Electoral Commission should be professional in conducting their mandate with no sign of bias.
2. The process prior to, during and after voting, counting and collation across the various districts, regions and National collation centers should be transparent enough.
3. The concerns of every political party which will participate in the 2024 elections should be treated with respect and solutions must be proffered.
4. The security forces must also act professionally and display non partisanship.
The National Peace Council must stop waking up from their slumber during election year(s) just to lure political leaders to accept the unknown under the blackmail of signing peace pacts.
A lot of things have happen in this country where the Peace Council was supposed to champion the agenda for justice and peace but we did not see that.
The Ayawaso by-election and the issues that arose, how did the peace council fight for the victims?
Did the peace council call for the implementation of the committee report?
What is the status of those who were indicted and the advice by the committee that they should be punished?
Did the peace council push that those indicted are punished in ensuring justice so that Ghanaians will have faith in them?
What is the posture of the Ghana peace council as far what happened in the Techiman South constituency during the 2020 elections where 6 people perished?
There were confrontation between the people of Ejura Sekyere Odumasi in the Ashanti region and the Ghana police service when one journalist Kaka was killed, what was the posture and the role of the National Peace Council in bringing peace to the area?
Has the peace council becoming a lip service peace lobbying institution during election years alone instead of championing the call for peace in everyday Ghana?
We in the CPP believe that one thing that is causing the tension we see in every election year is the winner takes all system, where the political who wins the elections appoints only people who are affiliates of the party into authority and only those who are associates of the party gets opportunities.
The peace council should make deliberate attempt to lobby for an all inclusive government henceforth and their labor will be lessen during election year(s).
Again the peace council should in its proactive measures stress on the need to have a National Development Plan, where irrespective of the political party which wins power, they will be forced to follow the Development Plan, this way the outrageous campaign promises made by political parties which push their supporters to think their parties must win power at all cost will reduce.
The CPP does not see anything wrong with Mr Asiedu Nketiah’s decision not to sign an agreement of which he has doubts.
The CPP will equally not sign any agreement when we are approached.
Unfortunate political comments have been made by people in power which hints that they are not prepared to abide by the dictates of our nation’s constitution, the peace council should call them to order.
We believe that if the system, the state sponsored institutions and government (Executive) do not show any sign of bias or attempt to manipulate or rig the elections, then the political parties will automatically accept the outcome of the elections.