Parliament is expecting a legislative instrument to ban political vigilante groups to be presented to the house before it adjourns on next month.
[contextly_sidebar id=”ayLjKEJmII8b0osZHZtU6SZaJJhhF7Sw”]According to the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, the house is aware the Attorney General is working on the Legislative Instrument.
President Akufo-Addo in the state of the nation address last month said he would introduce such legislation if the two main political parties failed to find ways to eliminate political vigilante groups.
More than a month after the declaration in Parliament, the two parties have not been able to meet.
Addressing Parliament, the Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu said the Attorney General will present the L.I to the house soon.
“If it should come we will be required to sit on it and bring the matter to a closure. It is one of the issues that may require our adjournment….”
Activities of political party militia groups are said to have the tendency of destabilizing the country and reversing the democratic gains the country has made over the years.
The violence that marred the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency due to activities of supposed politically-aligned vigilante groups, brought on a broader conversation over the subject matter.
However, President Nana Addo who has already instructed the Attorney General to prepare legislation to stop the phenomenon of political vigilantism says nothing will stop his administration to fight against the problem.
“Come what may, we will rid our country of some of these phenomena. We don’t need these in the new Ghana we want to build that people use force to determine the politics and decision making process. We don’t need it; we need to have a country whereby decisions are taken d on the basis of the force of arguments and the quality of presentations that are made of the political actors of the state. I believe if all of us agree that is the way forward; these unpleasant phenomena that we have been witnessing in our country in recent times will also be brought under control”, he added.
Vigilantism in Ghana
Vigilantism has become a topical issue in the country following a surge in acts of physical attacks and assaults carried out by members of vigilante groups aligned to Ghana’s major political parties, NDC and NPP.
Some of these attacks have resulted in death and injuries on victims including innocent citizens.
Recently, the presence of some masked and armed men at a polling station during the Ayawaso Wuogon by-election sparked conversations on the matter.
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By: Marian Ansah | citinewsroom.com |Ghana