2020 Elections: CDD validates 12 cases of electoral violence
The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD), has revealed that a total of 12 cases were validated from the electoral violence cases reported during the 2020 elections.
The CDD noted that the 12 cases validated were from the numerous recorded electoral violence cases from 11 Constituencies in six (6) out of the 16 administrative regions in Ghana.
It also added that the cases were thoroughly profiled and incidents involving deaths, physical harm, gun violence, and property destruction were prioritized for consideration in the report.
Further indicating that, it conducted the report in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and adding that it followed up on the cases to validate the reported incidents at the respective constituencies and Regional Police Commands where the incidents were said to have occurred.
“CDD-Ghana conducted a desk review of cases reported in the news media about election-related violence during Ghana’s 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections. Each case was thoroughly profiled, and incidents involving deaths, physical harm, gun violence, and property destruction were prioritized for consideration in this pilot project.
“The Center, in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), followed up on the cases to validate these reported incidents at the respective constituencies and Regional Police Commands where the incidents were said to have occurred.
“The follow-up was also to ascertain their current status within the justice delivery system. The constituencies and regions were selected based on their record of major electoral violence cases during the 2020 electoral process”, it said.
CDD indicated this in a press statement issued on the research conducted on the electoral violence cases recorded during the 2020 election.
“The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), with support from the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), is, therefore, tracking the status of electoral violence cases recorded in the 2020 elections in 11 Constituencies in six (6) out of the 16 administrative regions in Ghana.
“The goal of this project titled, Post-Elections Accountability on Elections Security, is to advocate for the speedy resolution of all the cases to engender public trust in the security and criminal justice system and limit the tendency for potential reprisal attacks in future elections”, the statement said.
“The fieldwork took place from December 6 to 10, 2021. The team visited and interacted with Officers in some Police Commands, the victims and families affected by the incidents. A checklist was used to guide the process of soliciting information from Police Officers and victims or their families.
The team again contacted the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Police Headquarters in January 2022 and was provided with further validation and update on the selected cases. A total of 12 cases from 11 constituencies were validated, and the findings are presented in subsequent sessions”, the statement added.
CDD, also stated that some financial support was given to the affected people but was die to their affiliation with a particular political party, adding that some victims did not officially report the case to the police.
Some victims are also dependent on updates from the media and police but do not follow the cases themselves, and out of the 12 cases tracked, four are in court, three are still under investigations, three has also been forwarded to the Attorney General’s office for advice whiles two have been settled by the parties involved.
“Some financial support was given to victims during visits by some influential persons. In addition, constituency party executives and some individuals provided some support to victims and their families. However, this form of support depends on the political party affiliation of the victims and or their families. In almost all the cases tracked, the victims and or families made no official reports to the Police.
Actions were taken by the security officers present when the incidents occurred, and, in a few cases, official reports were made by their political party leaders.
Almost all the victims and or their families do not have information about the status of their cases. They seem to solely depend on the Police and the media for updates. Again, no dedicated family member(s) or individuals followed up consistently on the cases for updates.
In a few instances where some follow-ups were done, they were undertaken by constituency executives of political parties to support victims who are party members or affiliates. Out of the 12 cases tracked, four (4) are in court, three (3) are still under investigation, three (3) has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s (AG) office for advice, while two (2) have been settled by the parties involved”.
It furthered that, it will continue to monitor and update the public on the status of the cases for the next two month, and therefore gave out some recommendations for justice for the victims.
“CDD-Ghana, WANEP and NCCE will continue to monitor and update the public on the status of the cases for the next two months. On account of the one-year anniversary of the 2020 elections, the project partners wish to commiserate with the victims and families for their loss. We urge them to remain calm and have trust in the criminal justice system to deliver justice to them.“
In view of this, the following recommendations are being made in the pursuit of justice for victims and families:
- The Ghana Police Service should periodically provide the public with updates on the status of each of the cases as a way of enhancing transparency in the handling of these cases.
- The partners urge the respective Police Commands handling the cases to expedite action on the pending investigations. A similar appeal goes to the Attorney General (AG) to expeditiously consider cases forwarded to his Office for advice to enable prosecutions to commence.
- We urge the courts that have commenced hearing of the cases to consider the circumstances of these cases and the implications on Ghana’s democratic and rule of law credentials and give expeditious hearings for appropriate and deserved justice for the victims, and also serve as a deterrent to others.
- There is the need for continuous sensitization and public education on the effects of electoral violence in affected communities by agencies such as the National Peace Council, NCCE and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
- The Legal Aid Board should endeavour to provide legal support to victims of electoral violence so that they can have legal advice on their cases and how to proceed with follow-up in their pursuit for justice.
- The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of National Security must take steps to support the affected victims and their families”.
