The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed strong concerns over the Electoral Commission’s (EC) re-collation and re-declaration of certain parliamentary candidates in the just-ended 2024 general elections.
Due to ongoing disagreements regarding some of the parliamentary results, the Electoral Commission moved the collation of three constituencies in the Eastern Region to the National Police Training Centre in Accra.
At a news conference today, Friday, December 13 at the party’s headquarters, the NDC Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah described the process as illegal, asserting that it has no legal foundation and lacks consensus from the parties involved.
“We in the NDC believe that what is happening at the Police Training School amounts to illegality,” he said. “It is not founded on any laws of our elections, neither is it based on any consensus that has been reached between the parties and the Electoral Commission.”
Chairman Asiedu Nketiah explained the constitutional and procedural framework for declaring elections, highlighting that while the EC Chairperson has the authority to declare presidential results, constituency and parliamentary results can only be declared by the Electoral Commission’s officials at the constituency level. He emphasized that any deviation from this process is a breach of the law.
He further criticized the police for allegedly aiding the EC in “perpetrating illegalities” by providing security for the re-collation process. According to him, this re-collation lacks legal basis and was done without prior notice or involvement of the NDC. He cautioned the police and EC officials involved to consider the future implications of their actions.
Touching on the role of chiefs in some constituencies, he urged them to desist from interfering in the election processes.
He reminded them that the constitution bars chiefs from participating in active politics and warned that if they continue to interfere, they will be treated as politicians.
In response to claims by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the NPP caucus leader in parliament, he dismissed any attempt to lecture the NDC on democracy, saying, “We need no lectures on democracy from him. We will, however, allow him to lecture us on impunity.”
The NDC Chairman issued a stern warning to anyone using state institutions to commit electoral fraud.
“They should be mindful that there are consequences for their actions in the future,” he said, reiterating that when the NDC assumes power on January 7, 2025, such acts will not go unpunished.
Source: myjoyonline.com