By The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has defended its decision not to sign a proposed peace pact designed to promote peaceful conduct among political parties in the upcoming December 7 general elections.
The NDC has raised concerns that the Peace Council, which is spearheading the initiative, has failed to create a balanced and inclusive environment that fosters fair engagement among all political parties.
While the party’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, publicly reiterated his commitment to peace during the launch of the NDC’s National Peace Campaign, the party believes the Peace Council has not adequately engaged with all stakeholders or addressed critical issues necessary for ensuring electoral fairness.
Mustapha Gbande, the NDC’s Deputy General Secretary, elaborated on the party’s concerns, emphasizing that key state institutions—including the police, Electoral Commission, military, and national security agencies—play crucial roles in maintaining peace and must operate as neutral entities.
He stressed that these institutions are responsible for ensuring a peaceful, free, fair, and transparent electoral process, raising concerns about whether this impartiality would be upheld.
“Institutions of states such as the police, the Electoral Commission, the military, national security. All of these individual institutions play a role, a frontal role, to ensure that they actually are referees to everything that is been done for peace to prevail. NDC is committed to peace. President Mahama is committed to peace.
“But as to whether we believe that the Peace Council’s peace pact is something that has gotten to a standard involving all stakeholders. We don’t think that the Peace Council has done a good job. We don’t think that they have helped this country because people have died out of the 2020 election and they did nothing.”
