Think tank Election Watch Ghana has urged all actors, particularly the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to actively participate in the upcoming rerun of the 2024 Parliamentary Elections in the Kpandai Constituency.
It argued that participatory democracy thrives on inclusive engagement and that must be seen in the upcoming exercise.
The Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) on Wednesday, December 10 announced a rerun of the 2024 Kpandai polls for Tuesday, December 30 for only the three parliamentary candidates.
The NPP, which won the elections last year, has protested the decision by a Tamale High Court, insisting its candidate, Matthew Nyindam, won the elections free and fair.
But in a statement issued on Thursday, December 11, Election Watch Ghana urged the party to accept the roadmap.
It, however, expressed concern about the spate of reruns by the EC.
“These developments not only strain financial resources of taxpayers but also erode trust in the electoral process.”
It called for the highest level of impartiality on the part of EC officials in “ensuring free, fair and credible election”.
“We emphasize that the increasing incidence of reruns reflects gaps in the management and administration of our elections, pointing to a need for urgent reforms.”
The thin tank, therefore, called in the EC to demonstrate greater diligence in the discharge of its mandate.
It added that the EC must ensure strict adherence to its guidelines and protocols.
“We urge the EC to enhance transparency and accountability in the management of elections and address the operational inefficiencies that have evidently contributed to these costly and avoidable reruns.”