The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office for West Africa, Mohammed Ibn Chambas, is backing calls for the banning of political vigilante groups.
The use of groups that perpetuate violence particularly within the two major political parties, NDC and the NPP, has been condemned by political and security analysts who say it poses a threat to the country’s growing democracy.
Such violence has often been recorded in both general and internal party elections. [contextly_sidebar id=”q8xxIVmvQARRIDVLod8JZEEvgcn61bLV”]
Dr Ibn Chambas, speaking at the launch of a book by Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere said there is no place for violence in democratic development.
“There is no place for violence in democratic development. That is why I welcome the calls for disbandment of political vigilante groups.”
He said the Ghanaian security services have the capability of ensuring adequate security making the vigilante groups redundant.
“The Ghanaian security services based on their training, past performance in election, operations in internal conflict zones and experience acquired in UN peace keeping operations in conflict countries, has the capacities and capabilities for adequately securing the electoral process and providing personal protection to candidates for electoral office. Our security agencies are adequate to the task,” Ibn Chambas noted.
In a related development, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Arthur Kennedy, called on Ghanaians to rise up against such political vigilante groups.
Arthur Kennedy in his recent piece said “we are a nation of laws- at least we are supposed to be. We must rise up, together to check the rising vigilantism and violence in our politics on all sides. We are getting to a point where violence is becoming routine, not just between parties but within parties. We must ask ourselves some hard questions. “
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana