Public Agenda (Accra)
Frederick Asiamah
9 November 2009
analysis
Accra — If violent incidents at the 2008 general elections scared you, then buckle up because there are predictions that 2012 will be dangerous for Ghana unless Government takes drastic actions such as strict enforcement of laws and regulations to arrest the growing impunity of violence.
Key actors in multi-party democracy and conflict resolution say that because a number of violent acts have gone unpunished, victims of such violence will most likely be seeking vengeance, thereby becoming perpetrators of violence in future elections.
The plausible retaliation aside, expected oil flow, insincerity on the part of officials and intimidation of security personnel by political party activists could shatter the peace of the nation.
It is said that these are no illusions; there is a real threat to the peace of Ghana considering the indiscriminate spate of violence and the inability of government institutions to severely punish the perpetrators.
Thus, "As we move towards 2012 the rhetoric about prevention will be relevant for us," says Dr Kwesi Aning, Head, Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, Department of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.
The occasion was a half-day roundtable discussion on the topic: "Preventing Election Violence through Legal Enforcement and Political Tolerance", which came off in Accra recently. The event was organised jointly by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Coalition for Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as part of their mandate to promote and support clean, peaceful and credible elections in Ghana and in Africa.
It was used to highlight the persistent problem of violence in elections in Ghana. The partners also organized the discussions in consonance with the International Day of Democracy theme of Political Tolerance. On September 15 2009, the United Nations celebrated International Democracy Day on the theme of Political Tolerance. The result was a clarion call on all citizens and societies to work together to build a culture of tolerance where citizens can participate freely in shaping the collective will of society.
Acts of violence and conflict have manifested in all five general elections conducted in Ghana since 1992, as well as, local level elections. Infamous pre-election-day violence incidents in the 2008 elections included the shooting incident at Moshe Zongo and Changli in Tamale; the shooting incident in Tamale during the visit of the vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party; the mayhem in Gushegu which led to the death of three people; and disturbances in the Central Regional capital, Cape Coast and Agbogbloshie in the Greater Accra Region.
On Election Day, there were clashes at Tain and Akwatia and in the Volta and Ashanti regions. Subsequently, several interventions were engineered to help minimize electoral conflict and to provide an early warning system to aid conflict prevention, management and resolution. That notwithstanding, over a dozen people were injured, some with gunshot wounds, during the recent by-elections in Akwatia and Chereponi.
Clearly, these incidents demonstrate that Ghana is still a long way from ridding its elections of violence and intimidation. This round table brought together key stakeholders in elections from the Electoral Commission, National Commission on Civic Education, political parties, civil society, the donor community, academia, security services and the media to deliberate on possible interventions to curtail the menace.
Chairing the discussions, Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe said incidents at Bawku and other places seem to be nurturing the grounds for retaliation in future elections.
Speaking on the topic: Actors in elections violence; motivations, causes and manifestations, Dr Aning pointed out, "What is happening in Bawku is not just an isolated case; Bawku is just a tip of the iceberg."
He regretted that since January 2009, about twelve clear cases of violence in which lives were lost have been recorded around the country but no perpetrator has been punished.
He was also unenthused about the use of violent language and politicization of issues by the media, warning, "This is setting the basis for war in this country."
Meanwhile, Mr Kojo Asante, Head of Programs, CDD-Ghana, has recommended that perpetrators of violence should be punished.
He also suggests that the position of head of District Security Counsel (DISEC) and Regional Security Counsel (REGSEC) should be handled by top security personnel instead of the current arrangement where the district chief executive and regional minister hold the respective positions.
However, the two major political parties - the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress - have been named as major perpetrators.
Discussants also acknowledged that hypocrisy and the fear of discussing the issue of violence openly are partly preventing efforts at arresting the issue.
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