Political rallies remain suspended despite the easing of restrictions imposed on Ghanaians to stem the spread of Coronavirus in Ghana.
Although a number of political activities have now been given the green light to resume with a maximum of 100 individuals, President Akufo-Addo has categorically stated that rallies cannot be held amidst the pandemic.
Nana Akufo-Addo in an address on Sunday, May 31, 2020, said: “conferences, workshops, weddings, and political activities, except rallies, can now take place, but with limited numbers not exceeding one hundred (100) persons present, with the appropriate social distancing and hygiene protocols.”
More so, the President said the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Identification Authority (NIA) will soon resume their registration exercises following the lifting of some of the restrictions urging the two institutions to adhere to safety protocols during their activities.
“Statutory bodies such as the Electoral Commission, the National Commission for Civic Education, and the National Identification Authority, whose activities were exempted from the outset from these restrictions, must conduct their activities in accordance with social distancing and the necessary hygiene and safety protocols,” he clarified.
No need for rallies
Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Divine Otoo Agorhom had said the usual political rallies that characterize electioneering periods in the country should be ignored this year, given the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
Mr. Agorhom said the risk posed by the disease does not create the needed atmosphere for the mobilization of political activists and their followers as part of the electoral processes.
“I am not seeing rallies this year at all. Ideally, if you ask me there is no need for rallies. The experts are telling us to brace ourselves to be with this situation. They are forecasting a period of 12 months more so if that is the situation why do you risk going to rallies? So we can leave that. This is the situation we find ourselves in. The virus is novel so, because we have been pushed to that, we must innovate ways.”
Minority political parties gear up for election 2020
Minority political parties in the country say they are preparing for the December 2020 elections despite the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Among them is the People’s National Convention (PNC) whose chairman, Bernard Mornah has disclosed how the party’s flagbearer will be elected ahead of the 2020 polls.
“We have resorted to the virtual phase where we are using the cloud to do most of our activities. Right now, we communicate, we hold meetings on the cloud and then we take decisions thereof. We have started to even conduct some conferences, that are regional conferences, on the cloud so that at the end of the day the person so elected from the various constituencies will now represent at the regional level and then the national delegates conference. What the PNC, as you are aware, is doing is that we are exploring the possibilities of doing a virtual national delegates congress without necessarily busing people to one location because our delegate count is almost four thousand.”
Meanwhile, the Leader and Founder of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) says the coronavirus pandemic has slowed its campaign activities ahead of the election.
For the Convention People’s Party (CPP), its General Secretary, James Kwabena Bonfeh says a team has been put in place to draft a manifesto for the December polls.
