De-politicise the reconciliation move - Agyeman_Duah

Dr Baffour Agyeman-Duah, Associate Executive Director of Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), on Thursday urged civil society organisations and political parties to help de-politicise the national reconciliation concept.

He said, "the fear is that if the exercise becomes politicised and takes partisan approach then we cannot be reconciled"

Dr Agyeman-Duah told 30 participants drawn from civil society organisations in Accra at a one-day seminar that; "whether you are for Kufuor or not is not the issue. It is far above those sentiments. The issue should not divide the already divided society".

It is necessary that the society is sensitised enough to appreciate the enormity of the issues at stake in reconciling the nation and to chart a new political course that will deepen the practice of democracy, he said.

Dr Agyeman-Duah said there were three different thoughts on the reconciliation concept that needed to be critically examined.

"Those belonging to the NPP saying the reconciliation must embrace the AFRC and PNDC eras, the second being the NDC group that thinks reconciliation should embrace all regimes from the day of the independence while the third group holds the view; Forget the Past and Move Forward (FPMF)".

Dr Agyeman-Duah said there was the need to harmonise all those views now that the Bill on the national reconciliation is before Parliament.

He said there was the need for civil society to play its active role through suggestions, memoranda and lobbying to be able to influence its passage into law.

Dr Agyeman-Duah said "it is absolutely necessary that the nation moves towards peace, reconciliation, unity and development that would secure its present and the future".

He advised those who would engage in debates and discussions to be fair, realistic and objective to avoid setting the clock of development backwards.

Professor Nii Ashie Kotey of the Law Faculty, University of Ghana, Legon, who took the participants through the Bill, said there was the need for those who would constitute the reconciliation commission to be people with integrity who command respect and are acceptable to the people.

He said the exercise promises to be expensive and it would come to nothing if membership of the commission failed to meet the expectations of the people, adding that it would have been better if the exercise did not begin at all.

The bill proposes a seven-member commission to be appointed by the President in consultation with the Council of State.