3 Ghanaian citizens petition UN over December elections

Three Ghanaian citizens have petitioned the United Nations (UN) over what they say are threats to Ghana’s peace ahead of the December 7th elections.

The three, Elikem Kotoko, Stephen Kwabena Attuh and Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese submitted their petition to the office of the Resident Coordinator of the UN earlier on August 12, 2020.

In a detailed petition submitted, they expressed concerns over pockets of violence in the just ended registration exercise by the Electoral Commission of Ghana. They cited the use of the military to intimidate residents at border towns and other places across the country including the unfortunate killing of 28-year-old Silas Wulochamey at the Banda Constituency of the Bono Region.

Their fear, which they explain, mirrors the fear of every Ghanaian is further compounded because majority of the recommendations in a report which was produced after an investigation into similar violence by an imminent body of legal luminaries -The AWW Emile Short Commission was received with shades of politics, with majority of the recommendations rejected in a white paper from the government. Also, the government has not taken pragmatic steps to implement very critical observations made by the Commission to set a good precedence for peace subsequently.

Moreso, a mediation process to douch these warning signs was made by the nation’s Peace Council. The two major parties were made to sign up to a peace accord and pledged their good will towards maintaining the peace of the nation before, during and after the polls.

However, recent breaches in the accord has become a major worry of peace-makers and citizens who are becoming overwhelmed.

The three, cite as worrying the posture of parties especially the president of the Republic, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo including statements made on public platforms by him to the effect that he had received no reports of intimidations on citizens during the registration exercise thereby passing a clean bill on the tainted exercise that received several criticisms from a cross section of Ghanaians.

The three therefore called on the United Nations to engage political actors to ensure the sustenance of peace before, during and after the December elections.

“…we petition your reputable and respected international organization of which Ghana is a member, to use all avenues possible to engage the political actors of the country to ensure a safer environment towards the upcoming elections and to ensure the sustenance of peace before, during and after the elections of December,” they implored the UN.