National Coordinator for Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) Albert Kofi Arhin has disclosed that no individual or an institution can manipulate results in favour of any political party in Ghana.
Mr Arhin asserts that Ghana has a watertight electoral system which would not allow anyone to rig elections for any political party.
The former Director of Operations at the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) expressed these when speaking on the Yensempa morning show on Onua FM on Monday, May 18.
He stressed that the electoral process from the stage of compiling a register is keenly monitored by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other international bodies hence the inability to rig by any party.
Mr Arhin has, therefore, urged the political parties to focus on training their internal electoral officers or polling agents to be abreast with the electoral laws instead of questioning and disparaging the very mandate of the EC.
He told host Nana Yaw Opare that his experience at the Commission challenges the impression and assertions that elections could be rigged.
“My work and experience at the Commission attest that elections cannot be rigged and the electoral system is open to all political parties and stakeholders, making it difficult for election results to be manipulated or changed.”
The process is not done surreptitiously, he stated, and therefore it is up to the political parties to be vigilant and intensely monitor electoral processes right from the beginning to the D-Day.
He expressed fret over the consistent misunderstanding between parties and the EC, stressing that decisions made at Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting are not imperative in directing the EC in delivering its mandate.
He explained the IPAC is a platform where the Commission engages political parties and other stakeholders but no political party can compel the EC in implementing decision made whatsoever.
He noted that the EC does not take advice from any person but prayed it considers issues raised by political parties which are the key stakeholders to make its work easy and satisfactory, and ultimately to ensure peace.
Albert Arhin thus entreated all political parties to smoke the peace pipe with the EC in all IPAC meetings and understand the operations of the Commission to promote peace before, during and after the December 7 elections.
By Maxwell Otoo|Onua FM|3news.com|Ghana