Accra, Jan 31, GNA – The National Peace Council (NPC) has commended the National Democratic Congress
(NDC) for heeding to its appeal to return to the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC).
IPAC is made up of all registered political parties in Ghana, at which the Electoral Commission (EC) engages them with respect to electoral reforms and other related matters.
A statement issued by the Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, the Chairman of the NPC, copied to the Ghana News Agency, recalled that after the 2020 elections, the NDC decided not to attend the IPAC meetings.
“This became a matter of concern to all stakeholders in Ghana’s democratic and elections space,” it said.
“At a Post-Elections Stakeholders’ workshop organized by the National Peace Council at Ada in 2021, the participants tasked the NPC to facilitate the return of the NDC to IPAC.”
The statement said the Council, therefore, engaged the NDC, the EC and other stakeholders to facilitate the NDC’s return to IPAC.
It said on 14th December 2023, during a stock-taking conference, organised by the NPC at Peduase as part of the preparations towards the 2024 elections, the NDC responded to the Council’s appeal by publicly committing to return to the IPAC.
Pursuant to that commitment, the NDC had participated in two recent IPAC meetings on 22nd and 29th January 2024.
The Council was hopeful that the commitment would be sustained to further strengthen the existing democratic credentials of Ghana, the statement said.
It expressed the NPC’s appreciation to the EC, political parties, all political actors and stakeholders within the electoral management system for their support to the NPC in the bid to promote sustainable peace in Ghana.
It urged all stakeholders in the political space to use dialogue and consensus building to ensure a free, fair, credible, and peaceful 2024 elections.
“In addition, we urge the public to appreciate the fact that peacebuilding can sometimes be a slow process.”
“Therefore, we must all exercise patience and support the NPC and its partners in building a sustainable and peaceful country.”
GNA