The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has admonished supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), victors of the December 7 polls, to be measured in their celebrations.
The admonishing by the EC comes at a time when National Democratic Congress (NDC) is contesting the outcome of the results declared by the Electoral Commission (EC).
“To the victorious party, the Council wishes to appeal to them to be measured in their celebrations in order not to provoke their opponents to violent retaliatory responses,” the Council said in a press release issued on Monday, December 14, 2020.
The Council said in the statement that following the declaration of the December 7, there have been demonstrations by the opposition National Demonstration Congress (NDC) supporters seems to have heightened tension.
“The rights to peaceful demonstrations by aggrieved parties to the electoral dispute must be upheld and protected by the security agencies, especially Ghana Police Service without any hindrances.
“While calling on the security agencies to remain professional and be measured in their responses to acts of indiscipline by demonstrators in these tensed moments, we are equally calling on all aggrieved parties to be responsible in the exercise of their constitutional rights to demonstrate peacefully without disturbing the peace of the country,” the GPCC said in the statement.
Official figures released by the EC for the 2020 elections says the NPP candidate, President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo won the polls after obtaining 51.48% of total votes cast while the candidate for the NDC, John Dramani Mahama obtained 47.86% of the total votes.
Also according to the results, none of the two parties currently has a clear Majority in Parliament.
The NPP won 137 seats in Parliament while the NDC won 136 seats with one seat occupied by an independent candidate. A party needs at least 138 seats to form a Majority government.
The results for Sene West, which is being contested, is yet to be released.
The NDC says the elections have been stolen for the incumbent party.
Read the full statement below.
CALL FOR CALMNESS BY ALL GHANAIANS IN THE CURRENT POST-ELECTION AGITATIONS
The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), has over the Iast few days after the declaration of the December 7, Presidential election result observed some unfortunate development in the political environments that border on peace, security, and stability of our nation with grave concerns and would wish to call the attention of all stakeholders to the following issues with the view to addressing them to avoid, monition of the already tensed environment.
1.. The rights to peaceful demonstrations by aggrieved parties to the electoral dispute must be upheld and protected by the security agencies, especially Ghana Police Service without any hindrances. While calling on the security agencies to remain professional and be measured in their responses to acts of indiscipline by demonstrators in these tensed moments, we are equally calling on all aggrieved parties to be responsible in the exercise of their constitutional rights to demonstrate peacefully without disturbing the peace of the country.
2. In the same vein, we wish to encourage the losing parties to strongly consider the constitutional option of proceeding to the Supreme Court with all the evidence they gathered to seek a review of the decision of the EC. While at this we also wish to appeal to the leadership of the losing parties to call on their supporters nationwide to be circumspect and responsible in the exercise of their rights to free expression and demonstration without the destruction of lives and properties, for we have only one nation to live in.
3. To the victorious party, the Council wishes to appeal to them to be measured in their celebrations in order not to provoke their opponents to violent retaliatory responses.
4. Finally, we wish to call on all our member Churches and by extension all peace-loving Ghanaians not to relent in their prayer efforts by continually praying congregationally and individually until calmness is restored to all parts of the country.
God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong. Long live Ghana!
File photo of NPP rally