Hot SourceTwo leading civil society organisations, the Community Focus Foundation Ghana (CFF-Ghana) and the Democratic Credentials Network (DCN), have raised concern over the potential for violence in the ongoing Akwatia by-election, urging political tolerance and strict adherence to democratic norms.
In a joint statement issued in Accra on Tuesday (2 September), the groups said Ghana’s by-elections have historically been marred by intimidation, vigilantism and violent clashes, warning that the Akwatia polls must not follow the same path.
“By-elections generally in Ghana turn out to be chaotic with intimidation, brutal attacks on political opponents, and vigilantism taking centre stage. These acts of violence are in stark contrast to the country’s democratic credentials,” the statement said.
The CSOs condemned the circulation of “war songs” by some political actors on social and mainstream media ahead of the election, describing such actions as unacceptable infringements on democratic values.
They outlined five key recommendations to ensure a peaceful contest, including:
- Respecting the rights of citizens to support their preferred political party or candidate;
- Ensuring strict compliance with electoral guidelines by all stakeholders;
- Preventing the transportation of vigilante groups into the constituency;
- Security personnel being properly dressed and identifiable with name tags;
- Encouraging aggrieved parties to use dialogue to resolve grievances rather than resorting to violence.
The statement was signed by Richard Kasu, Executive Director of CFF-Ghana, and Felix Best Agorvo, Senior Programmes Officer in charge of Electoral Integrity, Peace and Security at DCN.
With tensions already heightened ahead of the by-election, the CSOs emphasised the need for restraint, urging political parties, security agencies, the Electoral Commission, and citizens to work together to protect Ghana’s democratic reputation.
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