Protect the integrity of the EC – Political parties

Policy of Friday, April 26, 2019

Source: Graphic.com.gh

2019-04-26

Some political parties demand that the integrity of the Electoral Commission (EC) be preserved, as any mistrust expressed around the institution could sound the death knell of the country.

According to these parties, if political parties and the media, in particular, continued to put the country's electorate on their knees through the perpetual detriment of its credibility, this would result in the rejection of any election results issued by the EC.

The parties met with the Daily Graphic after an in-camera meeting of the Inter-party Consultative Committee (IPAC) last Wednesday at the headquarters of the EC in Accra.

The political parties are the Great Consolidated People's Party (GCPP), the Liberal Party of Ghana (GPL), the Progressive People's Party (PPP) and the head of independent presidential and parliamentary candidates, Mr. Jacob Osei Yeboah, aka JOY.

NDC booth

However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is of the opinion that the protection of the integrity or credibility of the individual is based primarily on the behavior of the person or institution.

According to the NDC, the EC must undertake its activities in a transparent manner to attract the respect and honor of political parties.

"The Electoral Commission can better protect its integrity by conducting its operations in an open manner and where all parties involved can be satisfied," said NDC Election Director Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, in an interview with the Daily Graphic.

Taking the example of the IPAC meeting, he said: "If after each meeting, the EC declared that a decision had been made on a particular problem then that no such event would take place. Was produced, it would rather be the one who undermined his own credibility. . "

IPAC discussion

At the meeting attended by Mrs Jean Mensa, President of the EC, the political parties were informed of the preparations made for the organization of a limited registration.

The EC would have proposed the organization of limited registration at the district level and online, but some political parties preferred to prefer that it be decentralized and conducted in different polling stations.

A discussion was also held on the offices of the political parties, who reportedly told the EC that the report was finished and would be made available to them.

LPG

LPG President Percival Kofi Akpaloo said that any party or political organization would be wrong to tarnish the image of the EC, since the electoral body had the power to declare election results .

He added that, despite the difficulties the EC was facing, the institution had been very successful in ensuring that issues between the parties and decisions concerning the elections were communicated.

Mr. Akpaloo said that Ghana could not risk undermining the credibility of the EC, as its repercussions could overwhelm the entire nation.

PPP

PPP National Secretary Murtala Mohammed said the party supports the call for the protection of the credibility and image of the EC at all costs.

He added that the problems could be solved in a way that would not lead the public to doubt the integrity of the EC.

Mr. Mohammed said that the party would not intentionally cause the EC's reputation in the gutters because of its disastrous consequences for the whole country.

GCPP

GCPP Vice President John Amekah said political parties needed to create solid credibility for the EC, otherwise Ghana would be in trouble.

"If we do not do it, every time the EC holds elections and wants to declare the result, nobody will trust it. We need to make the EC credible, "he said.

Amekah also urged the media to refrain from statements that could undermine the EC's integrity.

JOY

For his part, Mr. Osei Yeboah was also of the opinion that the work of the EC was crucial and that the parties and organizations should rather contribute to protecting its integrity.

He added that there should be a better way for parties or organizations to express their concerns about the functioning of the EC, but also by ensuring that their statements "do not affect the 39, image of the institution ".

Mr. Yeboah said that helping each organization maintain the credibility of the EC should be a collective responsibility.