Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peace-Building, Levinia Addae-Mensah, is urging stakeholders to address concerns causing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to reconsider signing a Peace Declaration ahead of the December 7 elections.
According to her, the NDC is a major stakeholder and therefore an engagement should be held to resolve their concerns.
She explained that during the last elections, the party signed the declaration hence their refusal to sign this must be investigated.
“It is important that we talk about the concerns for which there are hesitations around signing a peace pact, but I want to believe that there is an overriding willpower to really see constructivism and that will help,” she said on August 21 after becoming the first female Executive Director of the peace-building think tank in its 25-year history.
On August 20, the Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, reiterated the party’s stance not to commit to any peace pact ahead of the 2024 general elections.
He has subsequently outlined six conditions, including requiring the President, the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief Justice, the National Security Coordinator, and the Attorney General to all sign the pact.
Mr Nketia stated that his party is not ready to “let bygones be bygones,” insisting that President Akufo-Addo must openly declare his commitment to respecting the outcome of the 2024 elections.
Former Executive Director of WANEP, Emmanuel Bombande, backed the NDC Chairman’s position on the peace pact, urging the Peace Council to specifically call out individuals like Bryan Acheampong by name.
“The National Democratic Congress has a point. Peace is not about pacification. Peace is about justice, that is why we say another name for peace is justice. So what we need to do is to hold not only political actors and that is why I don’t want it to look at it as NDC or NPP. I want to look at it as individuals who must be held accountable.
“Honorable Bryan Acheampong three times, he talks about not handing over and he repeats it each time by doubling down. The last time was that ‘you can burn the sea’ and none of his party people has come out to contradict him. So what are we talking about?. We must have the courage to call individuals to account,” he said.
