The Director of advocacy and policy engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asare has said a more comprehensive solution to disbanding vigilantism requires more than just a meeting between the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In an interview on Eyewitness News on Friday, Dr. Asare said the approach adopted by the president over the vigilantism issue is commendable but it will not yield any concrete result without an intermediary.
[contextly_sidebar id=”YqxD33dR7SCkPa3bETgTfNu792FUwoLd”]“I think most people would say yes it is good for the parties to lead but if we are going to get something more sustainable and comprehensive, we need to broaden the dialogue and the engagements to bring other people in,” he said.
He said the introduction of a third party is necessary because there might be issues of trust between these two parties, hence the need for an intermediary.
“Well if there are issues of trust, if there are issues of discomfort for two people who are involved in the same problem to try and resolve, I think in any kind of dialogue or arbitration process you need an intermediary to facilitate that,” he said.
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has also commended the attempts to get the NDC and the NPP to meet and find ways to end political vigilantism in the country.
Whilst calling on all well-meaning Ghanaians to rally behind the efforts of State Institutions and Civil Society Organisations to finding a lasting solution to this matter, the NCCE said it is ready to help in the disbandment process.
Political Vigilantism
The phenomenon of vigilantism has become a topical issue in the country following a surge in acts of physical attacks and assaults carried out by members of vigilante groups aligned to Ghana’s major political parties, NDC and NPP.
Some of these attacks have resulted in death and injuries on victims including innocent citizens.
Recently, the presence of some masked and armed men at a polling station during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election sparked conversations on the matter.
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By: Farida Yusif | citnewsroom.com | Ghana
