Civil society groups urge calm on the political front

That declaration caused turbulence on the political front, as the NPP dismissed the verdict, citing discrepancies in the results of some identified constituencies which, when corrected, could turn the verdict in its favour.

Subsequently, the NPP resolved to contest the election results in court, but before heading to the court of law, the party last Tuesday took its case to the court of public opinion, as hundreds of NPP leaders and supporters hit the streets of Accra in a massive demonstration and rally that raised the political temperature to fever pitch.

Having reviewed the post-election political situation in the country, the coalition of civil society actors, including the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Trades Union Congress and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, is urging calm in the country.

The CFI also urged the political parties to co-operate with the relevant state institutions to resolve all election disputes through appropriate channels.

In the spirit of the Kumasi Declaration and the commitment of the presidential candidates to ensure peace in the country and avoid electoral violence, impunity and injustice, the CFI commended the NPP for its decision to seek redress through the courts.

It also applauded efforts by the party’s leadership to restrain its supporters from taking the law into their own hands.

The CFI said by going to court, the NPP was seeking to pursue a legitimate cause of standing up against perceived impunity and injustice in the country, adding, “The NPP and any other aggrieved entity should demonstrate unqualified commitment to the integrity of the judicial process and accept the outcome.”

The coalition urged the security agencies to remain alert and discharge their duties professionally and impartially at all times in order to sustain the confidence the public had reposed in them as they sought to secure the peace and stability of the country.

“We would like to remind all and sundry that these are sensitive times and, therefore, caution the general public to be mindful of provocative actions and utterances,” it cautioned.

It condemned all acts of violence and attacks on members of the public and the media in the course of the upheavals and called on the political parties to condemn such acts and respect the rights of the media and all citizens.

Story by Kofi Yeboah