The Electoral Commission (EC) has once again come under fire as Benjamin Kofi Quashie, the South African Council of Elders Chairman for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has once again harshly criticized the Commission’s credibility.
According to Mr. Quashie, an electoral body that has previously been found to have fraudulently replaced humans with animals and plants in the voters’ register, as confessed by Deputy Chairman, Operations at EC, Mr. Samuel Tetteh, cannot be trusted to ensure a free, fair and credible election in 2024.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, in the aftermath of the NDC’s “Enough is Enough” demonstration, Mr. Quashie voiced his concerns over the reliability of the EC, citing its controversial records. He reiterated that “the EC’s failure to subject the voters’ register to an independent audit casts serious doubts on the integrity of the upcoming elections”.
Benjamin Quashie pointed to the alleged irregularities in the 2016 voters’ register, alluding to EC’s own admission that non-human entities, which may include goats, monkeys, and trees, were captured in the register as voters.
The NDC’s demonstration, which saw a large turnout of supporters from all walks of life, was organized to demand electoral reforms and greater transparency from the Electoral Commission ahead of the 2024 general elections.
The NDC Council of Elders Chairman in South African highlighted that the Commission’s refusal to audit the voter register raised alarms within the party, as it could open doors to manipulation and undermine the democratic process.
His comments reflect a broader concern within the NDC about the integrity of the electoral system. The party has long maintained that the EC’s actions could influence election results, potentially compromising the voice of the people. According to the NDC, the failure to address the anomalies in the voter register could lead to a flawed electoral process in 2024.
The NDC organized the demonstration in response to various grievances against the ruling government and the Electoral Commission. The protest, held on Tuesday, brought together thousands of Ghanaians who marched through the streets of Accra, and all the regional capitals, demanding accountability from key state institutions. Party leaders, including former President John Dramani Mahama, have previously raised issues with the EC’s handling of voter registration and election processes.
The NDC’s demands center on the need for a complete audit of the voters’ register, an assurance that the EC will ensure credible and accurate elections, and the implementation of electoral reforms that would restore public confidence in the Commission.
The party continues to call for structural reforms within the EC to prevent potential electoral fraud and ensure the sanctity of the election process.
As the 2024 general elections approach, the Electoral Commission is under increasing pressure to address the concerns raised by the NDC and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the EC has assured that it is fully committed to providing the country and all political parties with a robust and credible voters’ register that will guarantee free, fair, transparent, and credible general election in December 7, 2024.
According to the Electoral Commission, call by the NDC for a forensic audit of the voter register is misguided and unnecessary.
“The Commission is of the view that such an audit will add no value whatsoever to the well-defined, tried, and tested process documented for the cleaning and strengthening of the provisional voters register.”
But the NDC, led by figures such as Benjamin Kofi Quashie, is determined to hold the EC accountable, insisting that without the necessary reforms, the Commission cannot be trusted to oversee the upcoming elections.
“We are not asking for anything unreasonable. If the Electoral Commission has nothing to hide, an independent audit should not be a problem. This is essential to build public trust and ensure that the EC is transparent in its dealings,” Mr. Quashie had said in an earlier interview in South Africa.
Source: Newstitbits.com