Use of foot soldiers to cause violence wrong — PNC
The flag bearer of the People's National Convention (PNC), Dr Edward Mahama, has frowned on the use of foot soldiers for violence in the country.
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He has, therefore, challenged all political parties to halt the use of foot soldiers for wrong political activities which have no positive bearing on the economy of the country.
“I am calling on all the political parties, especially the presidential candidates of such parties, to make sure that they bring their party foot soldiers to order and make them understand that violence doesn’t help”, he stressed.
Dr Mahama stated this when the Rotary Club honoured him for his commitment to a peaceful general election on November 7, in Accra.
Invitations
The Rotary Club extended invitations to all presidential candidates of political parties with representation in Parliament to speak on peace and what it meant to them.
The meeting was expected to bring together flag bearers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention People’s Party ( CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC) to sign a peace agreement and pledge violence-free elections.
Although none of the parties had officially stated a reason for not attending the summit, the flag bearer of the PNC described their absence as a sign of a 'politics of deception' that was being practised in Ghana.
He said no political party could rule in a country where there was violence, hence the onus was on the flag bearers to ensure that the security of the nation was not jeopardised by their foot soldiers and party followers.
History
There have been many instances where politicians had instigated their party faithful and foot soldiers to cause havoc in the country.
Over the years, foot soldiers have ransacked party offices and ballot boxes and vandalised properties of their political opponents during election years.
These have even led to the death of some party faithful and their opponents.
It was against this backdrop that Dr Mahama called on his fellow politicians to desist from any acts that could plunge the nation into violence during the general election.
“ Nobody would want to become the president of Ghana when there is chaos in the country. How can he govern in the sight of violence? We are all interested in the peace and prosperity of the nation, and it is our followers who can simultaneously without a word from us react in a way,” he said.
He appealed to political parties in the country, especially their presidential candidates, to place the interests of the nation above their personal interest by ensuring that there was peace and tranquillity in the country after the general election.
The peace summit
The immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Legon, Accra, Mr John Michael, said the club believed that conflict sometimes arose not because the flag bearers engaged in it themselves but because the people that followed them pursued it, hence the event would have sent a strong message of unity among the flag bearers to the public.
Presentation
Mr Michael on behalf of Rotary Club presented a plaque with the Four-Way Test of Rotary written on it to Dr Mahama. The Four-Way Test is a non-partisan and non-sectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships.
The outgone president said Ghana would have a peaceful election if political parties and their flag bearers were to go through the electoral processes with the four principles at the back of their mind.