Accra, Nov. 03, GNA – The National Peace Council (NPC), has strongly condemned the clashes between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Jamestown, Odododiodio Constituency, Accra.
The clashes, which occurred during a “health walk”, led to rioting, violence and shooting with 15 persons allegedly sustaining various degrees of injury with some hospitalized.
Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salih, NPC’s National Monitoring Committee Chairman, in a communique copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the “Council as part of its mandate to facilitate and develop mechanisms for conflict prevention, management, resolution and to build sustainable peace in Ghana, expresses great concern about the incidence of violence that occurred on Sunday 25 October 2020 at Jamestown in the Odododiodio Constituency of Greater Accra.”
It said these acts of violence cast a shadow on the December elections and must be rejected by all, particularly in an era when the major political parties have signed on to the Code of Conduct and Roadmap towards the eradication of political and election-related violence in Ghana.
It called on the leadership of NDC and NPP in the Odododiodio Constituency to call their followers to order.
The statement said following the clash at Odododiodio Constituency, the Monitoring Committee of the NOC set up to monitor compliance with the Code of Conduct, held an emergency meeting that discussed, analysed, and recommended ways of avoiding such threats to the December 2020 elections and beyond.
It noted that, at the meeting the Committee observed that the NDC and NPP should respect the Roadmap and the Code of Conduct towards the eradication of political vigilantism, and the Code of Conduct which they signed up as part of their commitments towards ending political violence in Ghana.
The statement said it was therefore worrying that both political parties and their supporters continue to engage in electoral violence.
It said the Council observed that the NDC and NPP had a duty as to respect the existing legal framework for addressing issues of electoral violence.
It said the Council and its partners urged the leadership of the NDC and NPP to resort to the laid down mechanisms under the Code of Conduct to resolving any misunderstanding.
It said while the Council commended the Ghana Police Service for the arrests so far made, it was also drawing the attention of the Police to act swiftly on intelligence in flashpoints Constituencies to prevent the occurrence of the unfortunate situation.
GNA