A Deputy General Secretary
of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Boamah Otukunor, is worried
there will not be enough consultation on the bid to end political vigilantism.
Whilst welcoming the move, he noted that the
approach would be a rather delayed one because the President had served notice
that legislation to disband all political vigilante groups would soon be laid
in Parliament.
“So if we can hold one conference and get all
the stakeholders on board, discuss the matter thoroughly and come up with
lasting solutions which may form a strong foundation for legislative work, I
think that there should have been a stronger way and a smarter way to deal with
the matter and I urge the president to come very clear on the matter of
possible consultations.”
Director of Communications at the Presidency,
Eugene Arhin, clarified that the decision by President Nana Akufo-Addo to
trigger the legislation does not suggest that he has given up hopes of an expected
meeting between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic
Congress (NDC) on the matter.
But Mr Otukunor indicated that the President is
proving difficult in the matter after he previously rebuffed the NDC’s request
for a third party mediator in any possible talks saying, “I don’t know why
the president is remaining recalcitrant in his position on the engagement and I
think that the earlier he considers that the better”.
The National Peace Council, for example, has
expressed readiness to assist the two main political parties in any possible
talks but President Akufo-Addo, in an earlier response to the NDC said he saw
little basis for some of the party’s requests.
However, the NPP which is also a major stakeholder
in the discussion, insists that the President’s directive for legislation was
in order. Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, the National Communications Director of the NPP
stated that “this will reinforce whatever he is persuading the party to do.
“I think that it is a very important step, the party should be advised and take it on board that it better cleans up internally because the big stick will be there,” he said. –citinewsroom.com
