NDC condemns attack on anti new voters register demonstrators

According to the NDC, the protesters, who were demonstrating against the decision by the Electoral Commission to compile a new voters register were treated badly by the police.

The incident happened at the Parliament House on Thursday when the President arrived to deliver the 2020 State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“The cruel and barbaric manner in which the police used unjustifiable force in an attempt to suppress the constitutional rights of Ghanaians to protest peacefully, was totally disproportionate and unwarranted. This callous application of force resulted in physical injuries to some of the protesters including our Deputy General Secretary in charge of Operations, Mr Peter Boamah Otokunor,” the NDC said in a press statement.

The statement continued: “This unprovoked cruelty were triggered by a concern raised by the protesters, when a bus-load of NPP supporters were allowed to enter the Parliament House without hindrance when the protesters had been restricted for several hours from getting close to the entrance of the Parliament House”, and, thus, described it as clearly “an open display of political bias in favour of the NPP, a growing canker that must be resisted with might”.

“To top this aberrant behaviour of the goons under the authority of Supt Kwasi Ofori, our MPs decried the harassment and intimidation by armed military men and heavily jacked-up SWAT/National Security operatives who uncharacteristically stationed in the Chambers of the House.”

The NDC also condemned the “utterly unacceptable and despicable security arrangements” emphasising that despite the clear recommendation by the Emile Short Commission for the disbandment of these “unlawful armed units operating under the cloak of national security, President Akufo-Addo found it necessary to deploy them in the august house of Parliament in an unprecedented display of force, to instill fear into those who disagree with him.”