The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has said it is still awaiting response from some two institutions on the violence that characterised the 2020 elections following a petition submitted by two Members of Parliament.
The two had petitioned CHRAJ to probe the violence that claimed at least seven lives during last year’s general elections and to help bring the perpetrators to book.
Speaking in an interview with Beatrice Adu on The Big Bulletin on Wednesday (20 October), the Commissioner of CHRAJ Joseph Whittal said the commission will do its work devoid of politics.
“I can confirm that the complaint that was lodged by the two MPs has now been officially communicated to the respondents (the Ministry of Defence and army commander) and by law they are requested, In fact some have responded and we are waiting for the rest to respond and then we know the next line of action,” he said.
“They have written to indicate that they are preparing their response to the letter that I have written in terms of their comment , which is allowed.”
Whittal added: “We gave them 10 days , and I am sure the 10 days was not enough for them, so they are trying to let us know they will be giving their response but beyond the10 days.”
Background
Two National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs in August petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate what they term “the killings and other gross human right violations” in the 2020 elections.
“Sixty-one electoral and post-electoral incidents nationwide” were reported, the police said in a statement back in December 2020. Of these, 21 “are true cases of electoral violence, six of which involve gunshots resulting in the death of five.”
The two MPs – Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (North Tongu) and Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (Ellembelle) – have lodged a complaint at CHRAJ against the ministers of interior, defence as well as the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff of Ghana Armed Forces.
In their petition, they stated that the culprits must be prosecuted while demanding compensation for the victims or their representatives.
“It would be a scar on our collective conscience, a threat to future elections and a disservice to the stability of our democracy if we do not take concrete steps to thoroughly investigate, punish the perpetrators and adequately compensate victims,” Ablakwa said after filing the petition.
The complaint
Their complaint is restricted to the Techiman South, Odododiodio, Ablekuma Central, and Savelugu constituencies in the Bono East, Greater Accra and Northern Regions of the Republic of Ghana respectively, reports the website of state-owned Daily Graphic.
It relates to the manner in which the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces discharged their constitutional and statutory mandates in the constituencies.
“In the case of the Ghana Armed Forces, their conduct in furtherance of the purpose of the National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF) did not promote the development of Ghana as prescribed by article 210(3) of the 1992 Constitution, as their conduct caused damage to life, limb and property,” the petition reads.
“Regarding the Ghana Police service, the manner in which they carried out their functions to further the purpose of the NESTF undermined their constitutional obligation under article 200(3) of performing their “traditional role of maintaining law and order”.
Fred Dzakpata
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