Prosecute perpetrators of 2020 general election killings – Justice Emile Short
Justice Francis Emile Short, former Commissioner, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has called for the prosecution of the perpetrators of the killings during the 2020 general elections to ensure peace in the 2024 general election.
He said the prosecution of the perpetrators was non-negotiable to serve as an assurance to the electorates to prevent them from resorting to violence when confronted by opponents.
According to him, for instance, recommendations from investigations of violence during elections such as the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election should be fully implemented.
The former CHRAJ Commissioner was speaking at this year’s West Africa Policy Dialogue Series (WACPoDiS) on the theme: “Towards Democratic Consolidation: Strengthening Inclusion, Transparency, and Credibility in the 2024 Ghanaian Election.”
The dialogue, organised by the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), which brought together civil society, political parties, and the electoral commission, addressed critical issues such as electoral violence, misinformation, and the socio-economic factors shaping voter engagement as Ghana approaches its pivotal 2024 elections.
Mr Emile Short said the 2020 election chaos around the results collation process and announcement which led to the death of a least five persons, “tarnished Ghana’s image as the yardstick of other democracies in the sub-region.”.
He said, “As of today, the case has still not been resolved and no prosecution has taken place.”
The former CHRAJ boss said the inaction had the potential of decreasing the trust level in the justice delivery system in the country which could threaten the peace of the 2024 general elections.
Accountability of the perpetrators before the 2024 elections would have assured the electorate that such incidents would not be repeated during the December 7, 2024, elections.
“It is among the varied reasons why the major opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is refusing to sign the Peace Pacts,” he stated, and that the NDC believed that as a country, the 2020 Pact did not achieve its intended outcomes.
Mr Short emphasised that unsolved past electoral issues had the potential of affecting the credibility and peace of the 2024 general elections.
He said another issue that could threaten the peace of the 2024 general election was the misunderstanding between the NDC and the Electoral Commission on the voters register.
That, he underscored, stemmed from the mistrust of the main opposition party in the Election Management Body, and that “I appreciate the consensus that has been reached by the EC and the NDC”.
Engaging political parties to address their concerns was an important dispute resolution method that could be encouraged, the former CHRAJ Commissioner suggested.
He further suggested that a representative democracy’s ability to function and sustain itself depended critically on the level of trust that constituents had in its institution.
“I believe the EC will continue to engage the political parties and other stakeholders during the IPAC meeting to resolve their grievances to lend credibility to the elections,” Mr Emile Short added.
He, therefore, entreated the Electoral Commission to increase the trust level citizens had in the institution by being transparent, deepening their commitment and ensuring free and fair elections and independence in the delivery of its mandate.
The steady rise of misinformation and disinformation in the country, Mr Short said, had afflicted Ghana’s electoral system in the last two elections – 2016 and 2020, and that reports had shockingly revealed that major political parties were spending more on social media to inform, mislead, or disseminate information to the public.
Dr Nana Afadzinu, Executive Director, WACSI, as Ghana’s ninth general election and fifth presidential transition since the return to constitutional rule in 1992, it was a milestone that underscored the country’s progress towards democratic maturity
However, this progress, she said, had not been without its trials particularly with concerns around electoral balance, voter apathy, misinformation and questions about the integrity of electoral institutions.
“Moreover, socioeconomic hardships such as the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, unemployment and economic instability, have compounded public skepticism towards political processes,” the Executive Director said.
Mrs Elizabeth Joyce Villars, Co-Chairperson of the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), said as the 2024 general elections approached, stakeholders must prioritise the core principles of inclusions, transparency and credibility to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
Source: GNA