The Civic Forum Initiative
(CFI) has called on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to rescind its
decision not to participate in the Emile Short Commission.
It also appealed to the citizenry to give the Commission
the needed support to the canker of vigilantism.
In a statement issued in
Accra, it said it had no reason to doubt the integrity and neutrality of members
of the Commission of Inquiry, however, after an exhaustive evaluation of the
political and security environment prevailing in the wake of the Ayawaso West
Wuogon Constituency by-election violence, it has noted the total condemnation
by political parties, civil society organisations and the international
community of the violence perpetrated by state security personnel during the
by-election.
It said concerns expressed
by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its Minority in Parliament about
the composition and implications of the Commission of Inquiry appointed to investigate
the Constituency by-election violence was unfortunate.
The statement said it recognize the democratic
right of the NDC to raise concerns about the government’s decision to establish
the Commission of Inquiry and had no reason to doubt the integrity and
neutrality of members of the Commission of Inquiry.
“There is merit in the call and expectation that
work of the commission will not preclude the criminal investigation and
prosecution of persons found culpable since the Ayawaso-West Wuogon Constituency
by-election violence is not an isolated incident but a wider trend of
increasing drift of the nation into electoral violence, solution to which is a
collective national responsibility and illegally armed groups represent an
existential threat to the peace, stability and prosperity of the country.
“The Commission of Inquiry presents a rare,
welcomed and last window of opportunity ahead of the 2020 elections to deal
decisively with the threat of illegally armed groups,” the statement said.
It appealed to the NDC, in the national
interest, to seriously reconsider its position of non-cooperation with the commission
and was hopeful the Commission of Inquiry would continue to operate in a
transparent manner to allay the fears of the citizenry who had expressed
concerns about its establishment.
The statement urged the NDC to hold in readiness to offer any help that the commission may require for it to succeed and support initiatives towards peace and stability.
–myjoyonline.com
