The peace agreement I signed in 2020, did it generate peace? - Asiedu Nketiah quizzes

The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has reaffirmed the party's decision not to sign any peace agreement ahead of the 2024 elections.

Speaking on TV3 on Tuesday, August 19, 2024, he emphasised that signing the agreement is not a guarantee for peace and called for a more comprehensive approach in dealing with election violence ensuring that the rule of law is upheld.

"If violence is brewing, and you go to just say that you are signing a piece of paper to get peace, you will never get peace. Let’s work to remove the things that will generate violence. The 2020 elections turned out to be the most violent elections in the history of the country and if we do not learn from our own history we are bound to repeat it.

“Let's work to remove the things that will generate violence so that we don't need to sign any document. The peace council condones the wrong things and you want me, Asiedu Nketiah to sign a peace agreement. Let me ask them one question, the one I signed in 2020 did it generate peace?” he stated.

He stressed the need for persons involved in electoral violence to be prosecuted noting that it would serve as a deterrent to others and help prevent future occurrences.

"Go and talk to the law enforcement agencies, let our people hear that the people who were killed in Accra, the people who were killed in Techiman, those who were maimed in Ayawaso West Wuogon are being prosecuted for wrong-doing, so it becomes a yardstick that if you approach any elections and you engage in wrongful conduct there are consequences for you.

"If that does not happen and you say your focus is on signing a peace agreement, it will undermine our leadership. You have a president and other state institutions and they keep quiet for 4 years over electoral violence," he stated.

On August 15, 2024, Asiedu Nketiah declared that the party will not be signing any peace declaration as the country approaches the December elections.

“Signing a peace declaration doesn’t mean anything to the party, as previous pacts have not yielded any real results. If you allow violence to brew, it will happen whether you sign a declaration or not. That’s why, more than a year ago, I started talking about the need to remove the building blocks for a violent election.

“Otherwise, if you let these issues build up and then say, let's play a peace football match, sign a declaration, and hope for a peaceful election,’ it won’t work. We did all this and more in 2020,” he said.

JKB/ ADG

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