The Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor John Evan Atta-Mills, has asked the Electoral Commission to live up to its constitutional role of ensuring fair, transparent and credible elections to avoid possible violence.

Speaking at the Socialists International Africa Committee conference, Prof. Atta-Mills said conflicts on the continent have been largely due to avoidable defects in the electoral process.

He served notice that the NDC would not accept the outcome of the 2008 elections if it is not credible.

Prof. Atta-Mills said there is the need to give meaning to the wishes of the people to change government when they so desire.

“The greater the official pronouncements of denial, the greater the tendency to make sure that the system is so arranged to favour the incumbent. And therefore if the dissatisfaction with the results leads to conflict, it is only to be expected that this is a natural reaction to what people perceived as injustice and unfairness. And this is exactly what we must try to avoid,” he said.

The opposition NDC in 2004 requested the recount of ballots after the EC has declared results. According to the party some 1.3 million from 3,000 polling stations are disputable.

The party also accused the EC of violating a court order by tampering with the disputable ballots.

The National Chairman of the NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei, emphasised that the party would no more tolerate what he called “fraudulent elections” next year.

“There is no reason why EC wants to cheat. This time we have made it very clear that we are simple not going to sit down to be cheated. It is painful. Those who don’t deserve to be there, when they come there they put you through all the indignities of life,” he noted.