The National Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) said the NDC will be embarrassed if evidence incriminating it of party militarism is presented before others. 

Sammi Awuku was justifying his party’s objection to excluding others in a proposed meeting by President Nana Akufo-Addo aimed at disbanding party militias on News Desk, a Joy News analysis programme.  

He said, “If we do not meet and we go for that full-scale mediation, the NDC will be embarrassed.”

Mr. Awuku explained that “Because of the demands they [NDC] are making, we bring forth the footage we have to show events in the past and under whose regime the terror did reign. They have presided over more by-elections than we have.”

“At the end of the day it is not just about embarrassing a party but finding a lasting solution,” he added.

What brought us here?

Following the January 31 by-election in Ayawaso West Wuogon which turned violent, the President commissioned the Short Commission to unravel what led to the violence.

Also, delivering his third State of the Nation Address, he urged the NPP and NDC to meet and disband their militia, failing which he will pass legislation to that effect.

While welcoming the invitation, the NDC has objected to making it an exclusive meeting between them and the NPP. According to them the menace of vigilantism affect more people than the just the two parties.

But the President turned down this request saying he was dismayed by it.

In their second response to the President’s letter, the NDC stood their grounds, “Our position on participation is quite simple: a lasting solution to the crisis of political violence requires that we involve all stakeholders.

“This is generally accepted as good practice…the stakeholders in the struggle against political violence cannot reasonably be limited to the two largest political parties.”

This the NPP National Organizer disagrees arguing he is getting frustrated with the posture of the NDC.

“The first meeting you bring all these groups you talking about, and when it does not go well who do you turn to?” he quizzed.

He is convinced that “when the parties sit, we will look into each other eyes and point out the error.”

Sammi Awuku insists the proposed meeting will not be the first time the two parties have resolved an issue between them without involving others.

“Nana Akufo-Addo never needed a mediator to call the president after the Supreme Court decision. It was an honest and democratic thing to do. President Mahama did not need a mediator to concede defeat to Akufo Addo after the December 7 elections,” he said.

He also said involving the National Peace Council and National Commission on Civic Education [NCCE] may not guarantee a solution.

According to him, when the Peace Council previously engaged these parties they all denied having these group.

He also added that when the NCCE visited the offices of both parties at separate times, they shifted the blame on the other party. He said that is the ‘kind of political football’ his party wanted to avoid.

He has promised that by close of Thursday “the NDC will have a formal letter” from his party.