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NDC, NPP must address vigilantism alone! President insists in response to NDC letter

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed dismay over some preconditions set out by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the proposed meeting to disband political vigilantism.

In response to a letter by the NDC, stating some conditions that must be met before any dialogue, President Akufo-Addo called for the meeting to be held as soon as possible, and all matters ventilated there.

The NDC is expected to meet with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to dialogue and find a common solution to the issue of political vigilantism, following a call by President Akufo-Addo.

However, the NDC wants the meeting to be extended to include all political parties, civil society organisations, representatives of the media, security agencies, among other stakeholders.

Also, the opposition party has requested for mediators and facilitators of the dialogue before it would participate in the meeting. 

President Akufo-Addo, in response to issues raised by the NDC, said the two parties should be able to meet alone to address the issue since they were directly associated with political party vigilantism.

“Political party vigilante activities in the country has, unfortunately, been associated with the NPP and the NDC,” the letter said and added that there was little basis to include other stakeholders.

On the request for mediators, President Akufo-Addo indicated the parties were capable of resolving the issue without facilitators or mediators.

The President said the two parties had dominated the politics of the Fourth Republic and had provided seven governments under the republic, with both parties representing the current Parliament. 

He expressed dismay that the two parties could not meet to address the issue, directly associated with them, without the intervention of mediators.

President Akufo-Addo suggested that the meeting should be held as soon as possible and all matters ventilated there.

“It is important that we trust in our own capabilities to resolve our own problems,” the letter stated and added that the government was ready to provide a venue for such a meeting to be held.

President Akufo-Addo used the letter to correct some misrepresentations that the NPP had sponsored vigilantes into the national security system. 

“No such sponsorship has taken place, and none will take place,” the letter indicated and dismissed assertions that there was a plan to recruit party thugs for the 2020 general elections. 

He said the NPP would not need party thugs to win the 2020 elections but would do so on the basis of record, argument and its values.

BY YAW KYEI

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