Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has called on the Electoral Commission to sort out its differences with the political parties, particularly the opposition.
According to him, this sit down is important for the Commission, especially as a means to ensure parties that electorates, whose names are missing from the voters' register, will not be disenfranchised during the December polls.
“The Commission must do this for its own institutional peace, as it conducts the remaining processes towards the upcoming elections,” wrote in an article addressed to the EC.
Prof Gyampo stated that while assuring parties no electorate will lose out, it should also punish hired staff whose incompetence and/or sabotage brought this embarrassment.
"Machines won’t work to perfection when there is sabotage, or not too qualified people operate them."
Prof Gyampo’s comments come after some MPs called out the EC for taking out names of thousands of constituents in their area.
Among them was Dr Zanetor Rawlings who tweeted "in the newly compiled voters' register over 2000 names deleted from the register in Klottey-Korle."
The opposition NDC also expressed disappointment in the EC for failing to provide the country with a new credible voters’ register.
The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Mahama had said the anomalies in the electoral process was making it impossible to have a free and fair election in December.
At a press conference on Thursday, he said, “They [Electoral Commission] said our old biometric register was overstretched, that the equipment was obsolete and so we are going to get superior technology [to rectify all these issues].
“But we are surprised and disappointed that the ‘so-called’ superior technology is generating even more problems than the one they described as obsolete.”
John Mahama stated that his party will not accept the results of a flawed election should the party deem the process as electoral process unfair.
Prof Gyampo stated that the EC is very aware of the problems of the ensuing problems and must “forcefully” explain to Ghanaians what is happening. He stressed that no one can explain the issues better than EC.
He added that although the Commission has garnered support from the governing NPP on its decisions and “economical” defence, it should reject such support.
He explained that the ruling party’s insistence on being the mouthpiece of the Commission will naturally be difficult for the opposition to trust the Commission.
The EC has what it takes to defend themselves, Prof Gyampo said, adding that “it cannot be true that the EC is infallible to warrant praise-singing and support at all times.”
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