Security Analyst advocates post-election reconciliation

A security analyst, Dr Festus Kofi Aubyn, has called on the National Peace Council (NPC) to lead the process of post-election reconciliation in the country.

That, he said, was because the country's electoral landscape was often marred by retaliatory actions between opposing parties, which could be detrimental to national unity.

“After elections, there are a lot of people who have a lot of issues against their political opponents.

Some of these things people are able to keep until the next election, waiting for their party to take over. Once their party takes over, they retaliate," he said.

Dr Aubyn, who is the Regional Coordinator, Research and Capacity Building at the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), was responding to a question posed by the Daily Graphic on how the country could cure the post-election violence that characterises the transition of power from one government to the other after every eight-years.

To mitigate this cycle of retaliation, Dr Aubyn recommended that the NPC, with government support, take the lead in reconciling Ghanaians across party lines.

National unity, cohesion

"We can all forge a nation to promote the image and the interests of Ghana, irrespective of which political party is in power," he emphasised.

Dr Aubyn, who has rich experience in conflict management and peacebuilding, underscored the need for the country to prioritise national unity and cohesion in the aftermath of elections.

To curb post-election violence, he also stressed the need for the Electoral Commission (EC) to enhance its processes, particularly in collating and announcing results.

"The Electoral Commission needs to look at its internal processes of collating results and declaring results, especially at the polling centres and also at the national level," Dr Aubyn said.

He said delays in announcing election results could create unnecessary tensions that can escalate into violence.

He stated that within 24 hours after voting in the 2024 general election, some political parties had collated their results before the EC could even collate all its results across the country.

“I think the Electoral Commission needs to enhance its processes, especially when it comes to the collation and announcement of election results,” he said.

The security analyst observed that the peaceful 2024 general election was marred by disturbing incidents of tension, violence and attacks on some state institutions.

Winner-takes-all politics

Dr Aubyn also identified the winner-takes-all system of politics as a primary driver of post-election violence in the country.

“This system creates a sense of entitlement among those in power, leading to the distribution of power and resources along partisan lines. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced during transitions from one government to another, where the incoming party seeks to assert its dominance,” he added.

Dr Aubyn said that had led to a culture of violence and intimidation, with perpetrators often targeting state institutions and public properties.

To address this issue, Dr Aubyn emphasised the need for enhanced civic education and awareness.

“We need to educate the populace, particularly members of political parties, to understand that governance is a continuum.

“This means recognising that there is a process for transitioning from one party to another and that violence and intimidation have no place in this process," he said.

Dr Aubyn called on the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and political parties to play a more active role in promoting civic education and awareness.

By so doing, he said, the country could work towards a more peaceful and inclusive political culture.