Mahama calls for transparency in EC’s operation ahead of 2020 polls

• Posted on December 20, 2019December 20, 2019
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama is urging the Electoral Commission to be transparent in its activities with political parties ahead of the 2020 elections.

He said the EC must ensure that all political parties are engaged and involved in the electoral process to boost the integrity of the upcoming polls.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress, John Mahama, who is also a former president said if the EC fails to check its systems to avoid bias, there may be turmoil in the 2020 elections.

He was of the view that the EC had taken an entrenched position not to properly engage some political parties on electoral reforms.

“There are issues arising from the last election that we would want to put on board so that we look at it and see how we can enhance the process so that all of us feel that the process has integrity and we are confident that we are all being treated fairly so that whoever wins and whoever loses will readily accept that this was the  free expression of the will of the people,” he said.

There have been long-standing disagreements between some opposition parties and the Electoral commission especially on the compilation of new voters registers.

The General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah at a recent press conference said the new register “defies logic and must be fiercely resisted as we in the NDC intend to do.”

The EC has asked Parliament to approve GH¢444,846,663 for the compilation of a new voters register which it believes will be more credible and efficient than the existing one.

The commission also says there is the need to replace outmoded biometric machines.

However, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah argued that the current register has proven reliable enough on the evidence of the District Assembly Elections.

“The current voters register was used to successfully elect about 6,600 district assembly members and about 33,000 unit committee members. Yet the Electoral Commission is telling us that the same register cannot be used to elect one person and 275 Members of Parliament.”

“The current register was the one that was used to elect Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP into office,” he added.

In addition, he highlighted the novelty of an opposition party backing an older voters’ register.

“We are not complaining. In fact, we are saying that let us use the same register so that given the state of the shenanigans that were played by the NPP in 2016… we will see whether they can win again.”

-Citi