With the Electoral Commission (EC) set to spend over GH?397 million on the up-coming District Assembly and Unit Committee elections, the Ashanti Regional Chairman for the New Patriotic Party has accused the commissioners of operating the institution like a billionaires club rather than focusing on their core mandate which is to organize free and fair elections.
Mr. Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman ‘Wontumi’ passed this comment during an interview with Peacefmonline.com.
The EC had budgeted GH?317 million for the District Assembly elections but due to judicial procedures that delayed the process, the commission claims it has to spend over GH?397 million on the impending elections.
This was made known by the EC’s Deputy Chairman of Operations, Mr. Amadu Sulley.
But with the “low quality” elections produced by the EC over the years, Chairman ‘Wontumi’ believes it is about time close tabs were kept on them.
According to him the commissioners had now made the Electoral Commission a land flowing with illegal honey and milk thus making it difficult for the authorities there to listen to any concern from political parties.
He buttressed his claim with series of lamentation that came from the various political parties in the aftermath of the Talensi by-election.
General Secretary and ASPIRING National Chairman of the People’s National Convention, Bernard Mornah accused the EC of short changing the will of voters in Talensi by screwing things up to ensure the highest bidder in the election carried the day.
Such practices in ‘Wontumi’s view would never augur well for the nation if the EC continues to operate in such manner.
As we approach the 2016 general elections, he cautioned them not get influenced by money but focus on redeeming their “decayed” reputation.
He recounted that if the EC had judiciously used the money allocated to them to organize the 2012 general elections, they would have produced a sterling performance rather than the shoddy work they put up which had to be settled in court.
Chairman ‘Wontumi’ also castigated them for the stale and tensed atmosphere they created in the aftermath of the 2012 elections which he believes killed a lot of businesses.
He therefore called on the EU and other donor countries to monitor the work of the Electoral Commission and ensure they are properly audited to avoid misappropriation of funds in the near future.
He claims a lot of Ghanaians have also lost trust in the EC and can no longer trust with their high demand for money to organize an election.
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(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)