NPP, NDC Meets Today Over Party Vigilantism

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will today April 9, 2019, meet the National Peace Council to begin dialogue over ways to disband political vigilantism.

Both parties accepted the Peace Council’s invitation to begin the dialogue and they will meet today to kickstart the process of disbanding political vigilantism forever.

The National Peace Council selected the date and venue for the meeting which is expected to give the Council the opportunity to table a number of proposals and modalities for disbanding such groups.

According to the Peace Council, the meeting will begin at 10: am at the Central Hotel near the British High Commission in Accra.

In a letter, the Council advised that “for effective discussions, each party is respectively expected to bring not more than seven representatives.”

Background

The talks on vigilantism were sparked when masked and armed men invaded a house near one of the polling stations during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in Accra on January 31 this year.

This led to a commission of inquiry, set up by the President to look into the matter.

Presenting his most recent State of the Nation Address in February, the President again tasked the NDC and NPP to jaw-jaw on the issue and seek ways to disband “vigilante” groups associated with the two parties.

“The time has come for us to put to end politically related violence,” he said, adding: “Our children and grandchildren will not forgive us if the country’s peace and security is undermined.”