Polls may not be held Nov 7 – Dr Prempeh

A political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof Kwasi Prempeh, has stated that it will be very difficult for 2016 elections to be rigged and added that the scheduled November 7 polls may not come off as planned by the Electoral Commission (EC).

He said the EC’s work has been under constant scrutiny by political parties and the electorate, with the most recent such scrutiny being the questioning of the membership of an 18-member steering committee set up by the electoral body to help manage this year’s polls.

According to Prof Prempeh, his greatest fear is that the election may not come off on November 7, 2016 as planned.

“I do not think there will be rigging. But I will agree with comments by the IEA (Institute of Economic Affairs) and some political parties that the November 7 ballot may not happen,” he stated.

He said the EC was already behind schedule regarding the necessary activities to be undertaken prior to voting – among them registration of new voters, exhibition of the voters’ register – and had been headstrong with its position on certain matters.

He told Accra News Friday March 4, 2016 that: “What is causing a lot of things to delay is that there are questions concerning the integrity of the register, something that has ended up in court. So, there is the possibility that after all the preparations made by the EC, the court will order the EC to amend the register and some other changes, which could throw all its preparations out of gear.

He, thus, added his voice to calls on the EC for a new register to avert any last-minute hitches.

cLASSFM