Demonstrations are rights enshrined in Ghana’s constitution – Pratt
Our democracy will not function without demonstrations – Pratt
Veteran Journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr has indicated that the Ghana Police Service had no right to stop the planned June 4 demonstration by the #FixtheCountry Movement.
According to Pratt, demonstrations are essential to any democracy and have been enshrined in Ghana’s Constitution which gives the police no power to stop them.
Speaking in a Peace FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, the journalist added that it is only through demonstration that the government becomes aware of the sentiments of the public about its actions.
“The Ghana Police Service has no power to stop demonstrations. The laws of Ghana do not give them any power to stop demonstrations. If you take the constitution of Ghana, it gives unfettered rights to demonstration to the people which means that any Ghanaian has the right to demonstrate against happenings in the country with permission from anybody,” he said in Twi.
He further stated that it is the introduction of the Public Order Law by a National Democratic Party (NDC) government that has brought some restrictions to demonstrations in the country. He added that this law, however, does not give the police the power to stop demonstrations.
“It is the government of the NDC that introduced the public order law which places a restriction on the right to demonstrate - which places some fetters. But these fetters do not give the police the right to stop demonstrations."
"This law only requires that you write a letter to the police if you want to demonstrate, indicating the people demonstrating, their number and the route they will use. If the police have issues with the intended demonstration, they are to inform the organisers. The organisers have the right to disagree with the objections of the police and police can only stop them by taking them to court."
He noted that instead of going to courts with demonstrators, police officers mostly go to court alone adding that judges' role against demonstrations is an affront to the constitution of Ghana.
He also added that there is nothing wrong with the #FixtheCountry movement demonstrating at the presidency or demonstrating for three days.
