Former Chairman of the National Peace Council, Professor Emmanuel Asante Antwi, reflected on the efforts surrounding the 2020 general elections, commending the council members for their timely and critical role in curbing the electoral violence that resulted in the deaths of eight people in the Techiman North constituency.
He emphasized that the situation could have been much worse without the intervention of the National Peace Council.
In an interview on kumasi base Ezra TV with host Aduanaba Kofi Asante, Professor Asante Antwi, who also served as Chairman of the Methodist Bishop Conference, described the violence that occurred, including the deaths, as “minimal” considering what could have transpired in the absence of the Council’s efforts.
He noted that while the loss of life is tragic, the extent of the violence was significantly reduced due to the Council’s actions.
Addressing the issue of accountability, Professor Asante Antwi asserted that members of the National Peace Council should not be held responsible for the deaths that occurred as a result of the 2020 electoral violence.
He explained that, given Ghana’s relatively young democracy, such incidents, though regrettable, could have escalated further without the Peace Council’s intervention.
“Recently, I heard someone say they wouldn’t sign the peace pact because there were killings in the last elections. I want to say these were minimal acts of violence given the circumstances. Our democracy is still in its infancy, and without our intervention, the situation could have been far worse,” the conflict resolution expert remarked.
The comments come in the context of ongoing concerns about electoral violence in Ghana.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated it will not sign the National Peace Council’s peace declaration document ahead of the 2024 general election unless six key conditions are met, highlighting the ongoing challenges in ensuring peaceful elections in the country.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
