The National Peace Council has acknowledged that while the 2020 elections were generally perceived as peaceful, the deaths of eight individuals during the process have significantly tarnished Ghana’s reputation.
To prevent such tragedies in future elections, the Council is actively engaging with various stakeholders, emphasizing that no election should ever result in the loss of life.
A Board Member of the National Peace Council, Joana Opare, expressed these sentiments at the ongoing Public Forum on Media, Peace, and Democratic Consolidation in Ghana, held in Accra.
“One of them came especially from the stakeholder meeting by CODEO that especially highlighted, and I quote, the deaths that were recorded in the 2020 general elections had dented Ghana’s image. Excellencies, under no circumstances should elections lead to the death of any lives.
“To move beyond this collective pain, we have had a lot of consultations with all stakeholders, the political parties, their leadership, the media and so on to ensure that we are all moving in the right direction to keep Ghana as a peaceful country,” she stated.
She highlighted that during a recent stakeholder meeting led by CODEO, the deaths from the 2020 general elections were particularly noted as having damaged Ghana’s image.
“Under no circumstances should elections lead to the death of any lives,” Opare stated.
She added that extensive consultations with political parties, media, and other key players are ongoing to ensure Ghana remains a peaceful nation.
This discussion comes on the heels of National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia’s reservations about the Peace Pact proposed by the National Peace Council for the upcoming December 7 elections.
Mr Nketia questioned the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, citing the 2020 elections during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without any accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council, Nketia outlined conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The party demands the full implementation of recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election and the prosecution of those responsible for election-related violence in 2020.
Additionally, the NDC is calling for accountability over irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and a thorough investigation into missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse.
The party also insists that the President publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections.
Lastly, the NDC wants the Peace Pact to be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they consider signing it themselves.