Former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu has described the decision by the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) not to sign the peace agreement ahead of the 2024 general elections as shameful.
To him, the refusal of the NDC to sign the document is an indication of an intent to cause trouble in the elections.
“It is not for Peter Mac Manu to decide on what the NDC will do, but I will say that it is shame on their part to not sign a document that will bring peace to this country, so they are out to foment trouble,” Mac Manu told TV3 during the launch of the NPP’s manifesto in Takoradi on Sunday, August 18.
But the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia explained that the mechanisms that will ensure peace in the elections have not been properly put in place.
To that end, he said, there cannot be talks about signing a peace pact.
To him, at least an effort should be made to prosecute the persons who killed innocent people in the 2020 general elections in Techiman South before any conversation about signing a peace pact ahead of the 2024 general elections is considered.
The post-2020 election violence led to the death of three people in Techiman South on December 8, 2020.
Eight persons were shot at the Techiman South election results collation center during the 2020 elections.
In the view of Mr Asiedu Nketia, the foundation for peace has not been laid properly hence signing peace is not an issue that should be considered.
Speaking in an interview with 3Fm’s Beatrice Adu on Monday, August 19, 2024, Asiedu Nketia who earlier served notice that the NDC would not sign the peace agreement said “what is the purpose of signing the peace pact if it is not to guarantee peace? So we understand the signing of the peace pact to be the icing on the cake of your preparation to achieve peace within this election.
“But the foundation for peace has not been laid properly, the foundation to achieving a peaceful election is based on transparency and guarantees that the election will be free and fair, there is a rule of law and those who misconduct themselves outside the law will be dealt with.
“It is not about the commitment, if violence is brewing and you go to just say that I am signing a piece of paper that will guarantee peace, you will never get peace. The conditions for peaceful elections are there, these conditions are being breached and you are laying the foundation for violent confrontations in the elections. Let us work to remove the things that do generate violence, once we remove them then we don’t even need to sign the document.”
“So set the yardstick that if you approach any election and you engage in violent conduct there are consequences, but if that is not done and you say your focus is just to engage us the leadership, it will undermine our leadership.”
