CSOs urge NDC, NPP to respect Presidential Election Peace Pact
Civil society organisations want the National Democratic Congress to use legitimate means to challenge the results of 7 December elections
- "We remind the leaders of the two major political parties to respect and fulfill the pledges they signed in the Presidential Election Peace Pact, which includes not just a commitment to promoting peaceful elections but also a pledge to resort to judicial resolutions to address all election disputes."
Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to respect and uphold the tenets of the Presidential Election Peace Pact.
The CSOs numbering about 16 want the National Democratic Congress to use legitimate means to challenge the outcome of the 7 December elections rather than resort to violence.
A statement issued by the CSOs said: “We, the undersigned civil society organizations, commend all the key stakeholders including the Electoral Commission, political parties, citizens and the media for their commitments towards ensuring generally peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections in 2020.”
It added: “We remind the leaders of the two major political parties to respect and fulfill the pledges they signed in the Presidential Election Peace Pact, which includes not just a commitment to promoting peaceful elections but also a pledge to resort to judicial resolutions to address all election disputes.”
Amicable solution
The CSOs have also called on the Electoral Commission to immediately meet with the stakeholders in order to find amicable solutions to “the gaps and errors” during the election to avert future occurrence.
“Finally we propose that key stakeholders to the elections, should subsequently be convened by the EC to brainstorm and find permanent solutions to the gaps and errors that have emerged during these elections and to update existing electoral laws, policies and procedures with agreed recommendations to prevent a future re-occurrence of such challenges.”
The CSOs also called on the security agencies to investigate and prosecute persons behind pockets of violence during the polls.
“We condemn all acts of violence and recommend that the Security Services immediately launch investigations into all reported crimes during the electoral process and in particular prosecute perpetrators involved in the recorded pockets of violence which have led to various injuries and deaths.”
The Declaration
The chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, on Wednesday 9 December declared Akufo-Addo the winner of the 2020 presidential elections, after defeating John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress.
Akufo-Addo won by 51.59% of the total votes cast as against Mahama’s 6,214,889 representing 47.36%. Akufo-Addo polled a total of 6,70,413 votes out of the total votes of 13,119,460.
However, the minority NDC has since rejected the 2020 results, describing the election as full of irregularities in some parts of the country.
Flagbearer of the NDC John Mahama last week revealed the party will explore all legal avenues available to overturn the flawed elections.
Fred Dzakpata
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