DW
Ghana is often described as a beacon of democracy in West Africa — a region beset with coups and political instability.
However, the country is grappling with unresolved issues ahead of its December presidential election, one of which is the refusal by the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to sign a peace pact — a long-standing tradition during election years aimed at fostering a peaceful vote.
The National Peace Council (NPC), a national body that promotes the importance of peaceful elections, wants Ghanaian political parties to commit to a set of agreed principles. However, the NDC has refused to consent to the agreements this year, leaving many people concerned about the December vote.
During Ghana’s 2020 general election, at least eight people died in election-related violence, according to Fact Check Ghana.
NPC chairman, Reverend Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, said the NDC’s decision not to sign the peace pact “raises concerns about its relevance in dealing with electoral violence.” Adu-Gyamfi told Ghana’s state broadcaster, GBC, that the council would further engage the aggrieved party.
Why is the NDC refusing to sign the peace pact?
The opposition NDC argues that the NPC was ineffective in gaining its trust during the 2020 election.
According to NDC chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, “signing a peace declaration doesn’t mean anything to the party, as previous pacts have not yielded any results.”
The NDC said they are seeking justice for those who lost their lives during the 2020 election. NDC flagbearer and former President John Mahama blamed Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government for the incidents.
“We need peace in the country, but there cannot be peace without justice,” the party chairman stressed. The NDC is also seeking investigations into allegations of stolen ballot boxes during the election won by the NPP.
The NDC has also argued that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is twisting the opposition’s stance regarding the peace pact. A pro-NDC group released a statement seeking to rebut the NPP claims.
“We, the NDC Professionals Forum (NDC PROFODUM) are appalled, but not surprised, by the NPP’s predictable attempt to twist and distort the NDC’s position on the Peace Council’s request to sign a peace pact. The NPP’s letter is a blatant display of hypocrisy and dishonesty, and we will not stand idly by while they try to deceive the good people of Ghana,” the forum said.
