- "So if the people who make the law are setting this example, what do you expect the rest of the citizens to do. Can you imagine the chaos and anarchy that will happen in this country if any group of persons can just wake up and say we are on the street without notifying the police?"
Elvis Darko, the Editor of The Finder newspaper, has advised the police to arrest National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs for violating the Public Order Act in an attempt to petition the Electoral Commission on Tuesday.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday, Darko said the law must be applied equally to serve as a deterrent to persons who intend flouting it.
“I don’t expect that from people who make the law. I expect them at least to even say that we notified the police and they said they can’t provide protection so we are going on our own, then you would have fulfilled that requirement of the public act of notifying the police,” he said.
Darko added: “So, what they have done, if I were the police, I will put all of them to court for them to know that in a democracy it is the rule of law, it is not about the disobedience of law, and it is unfortunate that the people who make the law will give a lame excuse of any legitimate means to breach the very law that they expect the citizens to obey.”
He expressed worry the development could result in civil disobedience thereby affecting the country’s democracy.
“So if the people who make the law are setting this example, what do you expect the rest of the citizens to do. Can you imagine the chaos and anarchy that will happen in this country if any group of persons can just wake up and say we are on the street without notifying the police?” Darko stressed.
Darko cited instances when the police arrested a youth activist Ernesto Yeboah for protesting against attempt by the legislature to build a new chamber, and subsequently himself for protesting for the passage of the Right to Information Bill.
Background
The Minority in Parliament on Tuesday (22 December) clashed with the police at the Electoral Commission (EC) Headquarters in Accra to protest the outcome of the 7 December elections.
The MPs numbering over hundred marched from Parliament House to the EC to demand a re-collation of the results from the Techiman South constituency in the just ended elections.
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu on Monday warned the minority will boycott the inauguration of President Akufo-Addo on 7 January if the results from Techiman South is not re-collated.
Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije was unhappy about the conduct of the police towards them.
“The action of the police, it is uncalled for, it is highly uncalled for. I mean they say we need permit but we are not demonstrating, we are walking, they should just allow us to go and present whatever we have to the EC. We are asking the EC to re-collate the results of Techiman South and to make sure we clarify all that we lost in this election,” he said.
Ras Mubarak, MP for Kumbungu, said the Minority has not breached any public act with its action to present a petition to the EC.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with embarking on a walk to present a petition to a state institution. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and we find the action of the police very, very offensive. The police should be protecting the citizenry, the police should be providing cover and not acting in the manner they are acting. Look at the number of guns here, which member of parliament is carrying a gun,” he said.
Supporters of the largest opposition party have been on rampage ever since Mahama rejected the results of Election 2020.
They have been burning car tyres and clashed with the police in separate instances at the various offices of the Electoral Commission (EC) across the nation.
Fred Dzakpata
* Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
#asaaseradio #TVOL
