The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has refused to append its signature to a document asking political parties to show commitment towards a peaceful bye-election in Chereponi. According to the party’s General Secretary, Nana Ohene Ntow, similar documents previously signed did not prevent violence as the parties themselves flouted the rules they promised to observe, citing the Akwatia bye-election and last year’s general election. “The usefulness of document is not just for the sake of document, but those document should guide our behaviour on the ground in practice and reality,” he pointed out. He however noted: “Our refusal to sign the current document is in no way to indicate that we are not committed to peace. “Indeed it is to make a forceful statement that we are not just interested in signing papers, we are interested in showing practically on the ground that we are committed to peace.” The NPP scribe recounted that the last political parties code of conduct that was signed by all the political parties in May last year to renounce violence and intimidation could not achieve anything positive. “ I am sure that all of us saw what happened to NPP party agents in the Volta Region during the last election, I am sure that we saw what happened to NPP supporters and officials including my good self in the Akwatia re-run, I am sure we have seen what has happened to NPP supporters at Agbogbloshie.” He is therefore calling on all political parties, especially the National Democratic Congress, to respect the previous peace documents signed and let them be a guide for a peaceful bye-election in Chereponi. “Once we come back peacefully, NPP will sign that document,” Nana Ohene Ntow remarked. “We are not going to mobilise macho people, we will not buy weapons, cutlasses, mattocks for people,” he promised that “the NPP will go to Chereponi and campaign, and we expect the NDC not to do what they did in Akwatia in Chereponi.” He hoped the security personnel would also live up to expectation and avoid being partisan. Four parties, the National Democratic Congress, the New Patriotic Party, the People’s National Convention, the New Vision Party and an independent candidate, would contest the Chereponi parliamentary seat on September 29, 2009. Story by Isaac Essel Myjoyonline.com/Ghana