Accra: Two civil society organisations have called for decisive action to address rising political violence and vigilantism threatening Ghana's democratic integrity.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) stated that political inertia in prosecuting electoral violence had fostered a culture of reprisal attacks and impunity.
In a joint statement signed by Mr. Kwesi Jonah, Head of Advocacy and Institutional Relations at IDEG, and Dr. Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, Chairperson of CFI, the groups expressed concern over increasing incidents of violence during elections. Their concern followed recent disturbances during the parliamentary rerun in 19 polling stations in the Ablekuma North Constituency, where alleged physical assaults were inflicted on journalists, voters, and a former Member of Parliament.
The statement highlighted these incidents as reflecting a dangerous pattern of electoral violence and impunity that continued to threaten the integrity of Ghana's democratic process. 'Elections must be peaceful expressions of the people's will, not battlegrounds for political intimidation and fear,' it emphasised.
The statement cited previous incidents, including the 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election and the 2020 and 2024 general elections in Tolon and Ahafo Ano South West, attributing the recurrence to failure in holding perpetrators accountable. It urged bold measures to eliminate violent political tactics and vigilantism from Ghana's political landscape to safeguard peace and national cohesion.
IDEG and CFI called on the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the Ablekuma North assaults. 'These actions will deter the behaviour and the culture of impunity surrounding elections,' it stressed.
The statement also urged the National Elections Security Task Force to adopt a more proactive and preventative approach ahead of the upcoming Akwatia by-election. It encouraged CSOs to engage major political parties to break the 'vicious cycle' of electoral violence and called for constitutional and institutional reforms, alongside media and police collaboration, to restore public confidence in electoral and law enforcement systems.
The groups expressed solidarity with victims of political violence and reaffirmed their commitment to promoting a peaceful, inclusive, and accountable democratic culture in Ghana.
