COMOG calls for peaceful settlement of election disputes

The Coalition of Muslim Organizations, Ghana (COMOG) has called on authorities to take swift actions to bring the perpetrators of deaths recorded before, during and in the aftermath of the 2020 elections to book.

This, they believe would rid communities of miscreants and go a long way in ensuring that the worrying trend was nipped in the bud to ensure maximum security and safety.

This was in a statement signed by Mr Mohammed Shahadu, General Secretary of COMOG and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday.

While congratulating Ghanaians for successfully exercising their constitutional right to elect their political leaders, it added “It should, however, be a matter of grave concern to all that many lives were lost as a consequence of the elections holy Qur'an categorically says that "... if anyone kills a person not in retaliation of murder, or to spread mischief in the land, it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind" (Qur'an 5:32). “

COMOG added that the deaths recorded associated with 2020 elections were unfortunate and the tension arising among citizens in the aftermath of the elections ought to be given urgent attention and swift resolution.

The statement said “In as much as the right of a section of Ghanaians to register their disagreement with the results declared by resorting to demonstrations ought to be appreciated, COMOG appeals to them to carry out their demonstrations with civility and also appeals to the security agencies to carry out their work with professionalism to avoid hurting or incurring the displeasure of the demonstrators.

“COMOG wishes to take the opportunity to call on all constitutionally mandated bodies responsible for peaceful resolution of disputes in the country to discharge their mandate with justice in the resolution of the dispute. This is very significant because justice is an indispensable ingredient in ensuring sustainable peace and social cohesion in all societies. “Verily, Allah commands justice and goodness ....” (Qur'an 16:90).

The COMOG also called on both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) to put the paramount interest of Ghana above their partisan interests and remember and adhere to the peace charter signed on 4th December, 2020 ahead of the election.

“While enjoining the NDC to use legitimate constitutional and legal procedures in addressing their grievances, COMOG calls on the NPP to also admonish its supporters to be measured in their celebrations and jubilation in order not to provoke others.