New register: Refrain from violence, divisive acts – National Peace Council to political parties

The National Peace Council has urged the two major political parties to use the electoral laws in resolving their differences in the ongoing voter’s registration exercise rather than resorting to violence.

There have been increasing reports of accusations between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the busing of non-Ghanaians to register in some constituencies, among others.

The Council called for calm in the ongoing registration exercise.

The Council also commended the political parties for peacefully settling their differences over the compilation of a new voters register.

It called on Ghanaians and other stakeholders to “recommit themselves to peace in all their activities and utterances before, during and after the December general elections.”

The Council’s appeal comes in the wake of the NDC’s call for enforcement of COVID-19 safety protocols at registration centres.

The NDC has warned that there could be far-reaching consequences if the Electoral Commission (EC) does not enforce COVID-19 safety protocols at centres in the ongoing mass voter registration exercise.

The party’s director of elections, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah who was speaking at the NDC’s press briefing on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, said their observations indicate a violation of all COVID-19 safety protocols despite assurances by the EC to ensure compliance.

According to him, the chaos and the laxity in the social distancing rule are indicative that the electoral management body has lost control over the situation.

Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews