The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Kofi Portuphy, has called for calm within the party and assured supporters that the NDC will deal with President Nana Akufo-Addo’s machinations at the Electoral Commission after the burial of late Vice-President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur.
“The NDC will, therefore, resist the deliberate attempt by the Akufo-Addo government to abuse constitutional processes with the sole objective of manipulating the electoral process”, he stated in a press statement on Tuesday, 17 July 2018.
Mr Portuphy said the leadership of the party is aware of the pressure being brought on them “to exercise our inalienable constitutional right by demonstrating against this blatant assault on our democracy”.
The leadership of the NDC, however, appealed to members to exercise restraint as efforts are made to organise the funeral and burial ceremony of the late former vice-president.
President Akufo-Addo removed Mrs Charlotte Osei from office as Chair of the Electoral Commission along with her two deputies: Georgina Opoku Amankwaa and Amadu Sulley.
A committee set up by Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo to investigate separate complaints brought against the three recommended their removal.
NDC APPEALS FOR CALM AND ASSURES OF MASSIVE RESISTANCE TO PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY AFTER THE FUNERAL RITES OF H.E. KWESI BEKOE AMISSAH-ARTHUR
The leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has noted the widespread condemnation, outrage and general agitation over the government’s machinations at the Electoral Commission.
We wish to assure all party members and the entire nation that the NDC remains committed to safeguarding our democracy, which we have all toiled for and nurtured.
The NDC will therefore resist the deliberate attempt by the Akufo-Addo Government to abuse constitutional processes with the sole objective of manipulating the electoral process.
While acknowledging the legitimacy of the enormous pressure from the rank and file to exercise our inalienable constitutional right by demonstrating against this blatant assault on our democracy, we wish to renew our earlier appeal for all to remain calm until after the funeral of our fallen hero, the former Vice President of Ghana, H.E. Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur.
We wish to affirm our strong resolve that, the NDC and our democratic allies in fulfilment of our constitutional obligations will surely take decisive steps to register our revulsion in the strongest possible terms against this flagrant abuse of the legal process after we have accorded our Comrade a befitting send off on 27th July, 2018.
The leadership understands the restlessness among party members and the good people of Ghana in general. Please be assured that President Akufo-Addo and his collaborators will not be allowed to get away with the premeditated, cynical and shameful subterfuge to subvert the electoral process and undermine the growth of our democracy.
Signed,
Kofi Portuphy
(National Chairman)
Source: Graphic.com.gh