Media reports say Ghana’s main opposition; the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will on Tuesday, May 6 hold its long-awaited demonstration through certain principal streets of the capital city, Accra. The Ghanaian Chronicle, a private daily newspaper said it is reliably informed that NDC’s deputy General Secretary, B. Zieden wrote a letter Wednesday meant to notify the police of their planned demonstration.
“But the letter to the police is not a letter for permit per se, as often erroneously supposed by many people. It is actually a notification, which the police cannot reject; the best they can do is to advise the organisers on the date or the routes they want to use for the demonstration.” “All the top notches of the party are going to take to the streets on Tuesday,” the paper reports.
The demonstration, it was gathered, is in response to Justice Kwame Afreh’s judgement in the Quality Grain case, which sent two former ministers, and one other top former government official to jail.
Readers will recall that the NDC in a press statement signed by its National Chairman, Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah, last Tuesday April 29, expressed shock about the decision arrived at on the Quality Grain case, by the Fast Track Court.
“What the NDC gathers from this judgement is that the ruling NPP government is bent on pursuing its diabolical agenda to annihilate the NDC as the biggest opposition party, using the judiciary as its instrument, but the judgement itself sets a dangerous precedent for both current and future political office holders, as the actions and inactions are likely to be subjected to the test,” concluded the statement.
Another reason for the demonstration is in response to pressure mounted on the leadership of the party by the youth about their displeasure with the alleged maltreatment meted out to NDC supporters and sympathizers at Tamale in Northern Ghana, following the violent clashes in that area.
“A source at the party headquarters hinted that as part of the preparations towards the demonstration, all regional chairmen of the party are meeting today in Accra, to deliberate on the impending demonstration.”
Again the national executive members, together with the Greater Accra leadership of the party, convened another meeting yesterday, Wednesday in Accra. This happens to be the first time that the main opposition, the NDC, will be holding such a demonstration – ever since it lost power to the NPP in December 2000.
The party’s flagbearer for the 2004 presidential elections, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills recently indicated that he was going to organise a demonstration dubbed “March for Survival”. However, it could not come off but no reason was assigned for it.
While in opposition, the NPP organised several demonstrations against the ten ruling NDC. Notable among them were the famous “Kume Preko” march and the one against the close down of “Radio Eye”, the first private radio station set up by now Chief Executive officer of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Dr, Charles Wereko-Brobby.
“Evidence abounds that supposed supporters of the then ruling NDC organised counter demonstrations, some of which resulted in clashes between the two factions.
In the Kume Preko demonstration for instance, four people died when people in T-shirts of the Association of the Committees of the Defence of the Revolution (ACDR) clashed with the demonstrators,” the paper states.
“In view of the history of political demonstrations and industrial actions in this country, therefore, Chronicle has learnt that some in the rank and file of the NDC are dragging their feet on the issue of the street protests for the fear that opponents of the NDC – disguised as concerned citizens, would be unleashed on them should they respond to the party’s renewed call for action.”
