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Parties are responsible for political violence- Koku

By MyJoyOnline
Politics Parties are responsible for political violence- Koku
JUL 9, 2015 LISTEN

Deputy General Secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress has made a rare admission that political parties are to blame for the violence that have attended many elections in the country.

Koku Anyidoho stated the obvious but with honesty that it is politicians who recruit these violent youth to foment trouble in the elections.

And when they are caught by the police, it is these same politicians who will either cover up or refuse to give them up for prosecution.

The NDC Deputy General Secretary made the revelations on Joy FM's Top story programme while discussing the violent scenes that attended the just ended Talensi by-election.

Gun shots were fired and machetes used in the hot tempered election that saw BT Baba recapture the Talensi seat for the NDC.

Scores were injured and properties destroyed in the skirmishes recorded yesterday.

The political parties, particularly the NPP and the NDC have since been accusing each other of instigating the violence.

Even though the Upper East Police were able to impound weapons that were to be used to foment trouble, they failed to make any arrest.

Discussing the matter on Joy News Koku Anyidoho said it was completely possible that the police will not be able to arrest anybody.

He explained many of these attacks are executed by persons who are part of a mob which makes it difficult to single people out and arrest them.

In many cases, Anyidoho said it is the political leaders who shield the trouble makers because they will have use for them in the future.

"It's a crowd. They are so many people. They are within their group. They fire a shot. You think the group is going to let the person out like that?"

"We are between the rock and the hard place. As politicians we are the ones who hide them because you are not about to give one up because next time if you going for another by election will the other one follow you?

"As political parties we are responsible. Let's not run away from these things," he said, adding both the NDC and the NPP are guilty of this crime.

The Director of Communications of the NPP Nana Akomea did not understand why the police failed to arrest persons he said were carrying weapons.

He said the weapons in themselves are not dangerous but the human beings who use these weapons are even more dangerous.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com| Nathan Gadugah | [email protected]

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