The National Peace Council has acknowledged that the deaths of eight individuals during the 2020 general elections have tarnished Ghana’s reputation despite the general perception of the elections as peaceful.
The Council has emphasized its ongoing efforts to engage with stakeholders to prevent such tragedies in future elections, underscoring that no election should result in the loss of life.
Joana Opare, a Board Member of the National Peace Council, made these remarks at the Public Forum on Media, Peace, and Democratic Consolidation in Ghana, which is currently taking place in Accra.
She noted that insights from a stakeholder meeting by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) highlighted that the deaths during the 2020 elections had indeed dented Ghana’s image.
“Under no circumstances should elections lead to the death of any lives. To move beyond this collective pain, we have engaged extensively with stakeholders, including political parties, media, and others, to ensure that Ghana remains peaceful,” Opare stated.
Acknowledging these concerns comes in the wake of recent demands by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regarding the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council for the upcoming December 7 elections.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the NDC’s National Chairman, has outlined specific conditions that the party insists must be met before they consider signing the Peace Pact.
Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of previous Peace Pacts, citing that they had not achieved their intended goals, particularly referencing the alleged killing of eight NDC members by national security operatives during the 2020 elections, with no accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Nketia detailed the party’s conditions for participating in the Peace Pact.
These include fully implementing the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, prosecuting those responsible for election-related violence in the last election, and addressing irregularities in the printing of ballot papers.
Additionally, the NDC calls for accountability regarding the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s warehouse and a public commitment from the President to respect the results of the 2024 elections.
The party also demands that key figures such as the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator sign the Peace Pact before they consider signing it themselves.
