Democracy Under Attack demo: NPP vows to defend members against alleged political persecution

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it will defend its members against what it alleges is political persecution by the Government.

The party said it would oppose what it described as attempts to intimidate or silence members of the political opposition.

Mr Salam Mustapha, National Youth Organiser of the NPP, said this in an interview with journalists during the party’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration in Accra on Thursday.

He alleged that the Government was using state institutions to target members of the opposition instead of addressing the country’s economic challenges.

“We do not have a problem with state institutions working and calling people to account for their stewardship, but we have a problem with persecution.

“As a political entity, we will defend our members. We will not allow this Government to have its way in cowing our members into submission,” he said.

The demonstration was organised by the NPP to highlight what the party described as concerns over governance, constitutional rights and the functioning of democratic institutions.

Mr Mustapha also alleged that the removal of the immediate former Chief Justice had undermined the independence of the Judiciary and created fear within the justice system.

He said political activists should not be targeted for their views and argued that failure to challenge such actions could expose other groups, including the media, to similar treatment.

“Strange things are happening to our democracy,” he said.

“We all have a responsibility to raise our voices because Ghana was not sold to any political party. Ghanaians voted with the expectation that food prices, fuel prices and the cost of living would come down, not for political opponents to be persecuted,” he added.

Mr Mustapha said the NPP would continue to oppose what he described as tyranny, dictatorship and demagoguery.

Mr Faisal Ibrahim Cisse, NPP Chairman for the Klottey Korle Constituency, also expressed concern over what he described as increasing arrests of people over comments made on social media and other public platforms.

He alleged that some citizens had been detained without due process and said freedom of expression was guaranteed under the Constitution.

Mr Cisse said people who believed they had been defamed could seek redress through civil proceedings instead of criminal arrests.

He urged the Government to uphold democratic principles and ensure that the law was applied impartially, irrespective of the political affiliation of those involved.

GNA