Position expressed by EC is not only absurd but senseless!!

The position expressed by the EC on the Five-man Committee is rubbishy and senseless. It depicts the Electoral Commission’s determination to rig the 2016 for the NDC and John Mahama.

The EC’s interpretation of the panel’s recommendations seeks to divert the core responsibilities and mandates of the EC onto the citizen of Ghana instead. This is highly contemptible!

If indeed the “panel is of the view that the responsibility for having a clean and credible voters register is of all citizens of Ghana”, then the question is, what is the essence of having the Electoral Commission of Ghana at-all, if the responsibility of ensuring clean and credible voters register is on Ghana citizenry?

The constitution of Ghana clearly puts the responsibilities solely on the EC, as an independent body to ensure free, fair, transparent and credible voters register and elections, not the citizens of Ghana. Therefore, how on earth should the EC itself accept the a recommendation from the Panel that conspicuously seeks to shift the Commission’s mandates onto ordinary citizens of Ghana?

The Panel’s recommendations as stated by the EC, shows that, the Five-Man Committee have not disputed the fact that the current voters register is not fit for purpose, rather, they are of the view that the citizens of Ghana should have rather ensured that the voters register conducted became out credible from the onset, not the EC of Ghana, if we say it is not credible today. That’s is the meaning of what the has panel stated as quoted by the EC, in their report. What good purpose does this recommendation serve at-all in this voters register debate?

Article 45. Says; The Electoral Commission shall have the following functions

(a) to compile the register of voters and revise it at such periods as may be determined by law;

(b) to demarcate the electoral boundaries for both national and local government elections;

(c) to conduct and supervise all public elections and referenda;

(d) to educate the people on the electoral process and its purpose;

(e) to undertake programmes for the expansion of the registration of voters; and

(f) to perform such other functions as may be prescribed by law.

There is nowhere that the constitution puts the responsibilities on the citizen of Ghana to ensure a credible voters register but rather, on the EC.

If the panel has indeed concluded that it is not a good idea to conduct a new voters register in Ghana for 2016 general elections, and deems the current register as flawless, why then has the EC stated in the statement issued, assuring Ghanaians that the Commission is going to take steps to audit the current voters register to make it clean? The question is, make it clean from what? Why audit the register if they argue that the register is flawless? This is absolutely absurdity and it shows how the EC is playing all tricks to rig the election 2016 for John Mahama and NDC, just as they do always.

The time is now ripped for all well-meaning and concerned Ghanaians to vigorously build serious pressure on the EC to ensure new voters register now that the EC’s is clear on the matter. Ghana cannot afford to go through the looming violence that would happen out of this fraudulent voters registers if it is used for 2016 elections.

The EC’s dangerous position is now clear on this matter, which is not different from the position expressed by Charlotte Osei at the stakeholders forum, therefore all efforts should be exercised on the EC to succumb to what Ghanaians want.

There must definitely be a new credible voters register to ensure free, fair, transparent and to ensure acceptable results in elections 2016.

Peter Antwi Boasiako.
London.