NPP Petitions Diplomatic Community Over Alleged Political Persecution and Erosion of Democratic Freedoms

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has a official complaint lodged against the government of President John Dramani Mahama, charging it with strengthening political persecution through the means of the state and with curtailing democratic rights. The government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has used state machinery to frighten political opponents away from taking the stand, shut down opposition and criminalize criticism, the party said in a May 19 petition, which was signed by NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong and Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin. “We pen … a paper to formally appeal to the international diplomatic community’s urgent attention toward the escalating and concerning assault on democratic rule by both the state and non-state institutions, including constitutional freedoms; as well as on political pluralism and the rule of law,” the petition said. Serious Threats to Democracy.

The NPP warned that Ghana’s hard-earned democratic prestige established over decades of peaceful transitions of power and respect for civil liberties is under grave threat. Security agencies, prosecutors and some elements within the judiciary are now being weaponised against government critics because of arbitrary arrests, selective prosecutions and politically motivated detentions, the party said. Key Example Cited. The NPP cited charges including arrest and continuing detention for its Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe better known as Abronye DC, as a prime instance of the criminalisation of dissent.

Abronye DC was presented to Circuit Court 9 on charges of offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace and publication of false news for allegedly making comments about judicial issues. The party warned that attacking public officials, including judges, should not be considered a criminal offence in a constitutional democracy. The petition also detailed other people  opposition critics, political communicators and social media activists who it said had been arrested, intimidated or prosecuted. Alleged Abuse of State Institutions.

The NPP has a reputation as an instrument of democracy, NPP added, noting the government had used the state’s security mechanisms in a way that appears to be too partisan to prevent government actors (the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and police) being mobilized for partisan ends. The party also flagged a rise in popular confusion over judicial independence and challenged decisions in politically sensitive cases.

The NPP urged diplomats, the development partners and international human rights organizations to keep a watchful eye over how the situation has played out in Ghana, reiterate its pledge to democratic principles and engage the government on what it said are the abuses of criminal prosecutions to clamp down on opposition voices. The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and government officials had not had any immediate replies to the charges at the time of the release of this article.

Editor:

Obiri-Yeboah