Victims of Ayawaso violence deserve justice – GBA

The Ghana Bar Association has described as disturbing the use of masked security men at the Ayawaso by-election.

In a statement, the Association called on government and the security agencies to investigate the violence that marred the polls and bring perpetrators to book.

“The Ghana Bar Association views the use of firearms and acts of violence in a constituency where a by-election was being held as a serious blight on Ghana’s democratic credentials and a threat to the rule of law”.

The Association also called for justice for the victims of the violence.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has criticised the Electoral Commission’s response to concerns of low turn in Thursday’s Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.

Speaking on Morning Starr, however, on Monday, CHRAJ’s Commissioner Joseph Whittal said it was “disingenuous” of the EC to delink the violence to the “abysmally” low turnout.

“I think it’s misplaced. The outcome of the election, the 19 percent that turned out, in fact, should let the EC know that people did not come out,” Whittal told the host Francis Abban.

“We know by-elections generally the turnouts are not so high. But this one is abysmally low and that’s to let you know that word of violence can travel far… So for the EC to disingenuously say that’s not the case I find it a bit difficult to understand.

“The EC should not attempt to rationalize,” he added.