Last Tuesday?s assult on some numbers of the media by supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle has received serious condemnation from civil society groups as well as some political parties.
The incident took place after the National Executive Committee (NEC) of th eparty met to deliberate on? the next line of action after the party indicated there reservation to the declared results, accusing EC officials? of conniving with the NDC government to rig the election.
Immediately after the NEC meeting, the party hierachy met with supporters as well as the media to inform them of the party?s next line of action which was to drag the matter to the law courts, but the meeting turned sour when the supporters decided to vent their splee on some members of the media from Multi-media Group of Companies, TV3 and Metro TV for what the supporters say announcing the results of the election in favor of?? the ruling NDC.
But sections of the public including some members of the NPP have comdemned the action of the supporters, describing it as ?unwaranted, uncalled for, uncivilized and unacceptable.?
The Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peace Building, Mr. Emmanuel Bonbande who added his vioce to the call said the action by the NPP supporters is a bad precedent in any democratic dispensation and must be condemned by all.
He said the best plaform for the party to seek redress was the law courts, but not resorting to attacks on individuals and civil society organizations like the media.
The situation could have generated into something else had it not been the timely presence of the military to contain the situation.
The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) has also issued a statement on the matter, condemning the action by the supporters of NPP, and calling on the party to come out on the matter and also educate its supporters.
Attack on jounalist has become a common norm to some people when they feel aggrieved, and in many instance some journalists have been physically assaulted with their gadgets destroyed.
In 1998 for instance, a simillar incident happened at the headquarters of the NDC???? where some reporters were attacked and assaulted by supporters of the party.
At a press conference at the former press center at Kwame Nkrumah Circle addressed by their General Secretary of the party, Hudu Yahaya the reporters present were nearly attacked again by some party supporters allegedly from Nima after a senior reporter from the Free Press, Mr. Nicholas Mensah asked a question which the supporters did not take kindly to it.
This and other incidents have characterized the democratic dispensation in the country after every election.
