The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is calling on civil society organisations and the international community to play a more active role in safeguarding Ghana’s democracy, citing growing concerns about threats to freedom of speech.
This appeal was made by the party’s Deputy General Secretary, Haruna Mohammed, in an interview on Wednesday, April 22.
He cautioned that if such actions are left unaddressed, they could create a dangerous precedent and undermine Ghana’s democratic stability.
“Intimidations all over, arrests of people in the name of political persecution, and nothing comes out of that. We are calling on civil society and the international community to ensure that we protect the democracy that Ghana is enjoying,” he said
He added, “While we see that our neighbouring countries and other countries in Africa are in flames, such a dangerous precedent does not come at once. It starts with these particular dangerous instances of NDC government activities to curtail freedom of speech.”
Mr. Mohammed said Ghana’s 1992 Constitution clearly outlines both rights and responsibilities for citizens, public institutions, and office holders, stressing that these must be upheld to sustain the country’s democracy.
“If you read the 1992 Constitution very carefully, we have rights and responsibilities. We are not going to sit in silence while freedom of speech is intimidated,” he stated.
The NPP held a protest in Sunyani in the Bono Region, where party supporters protested what they claim is a growing pattern of intimidation and politically motivated arrests under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama.
According to Mr. Mohammed, the protest was intended to draw national and international attention to what the party believes is a gradual erosion of democratic principles, including the gains made after the repeal of the criminal libel law.
He maintained that the NPP’s actions are within its constitutional rights and insisted the party will continue to resist any attempts to curtail freedom of expression.
“We are exercising our rights as enshrined in the Constitution, and we will not allow activities that undermine free speech to continue,” he added.
