The Electoral Commission’s (EC) usage of the new Constitutional Instrument (CI) to undertake the ongoing limited voter registration has caused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to raise numerous concerns about the exercise.
The fears raised by the opposition has made the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) advise the NDC to return to the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC). the NDC says the IPAC is the perfect place to get their concerns addressed.
Director of Elections for the NPP, Evans Nimako, during a round table discussion by the coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Accra Thursday, September 28, 2023, noted the best means for the NDC to channel their concerns about Ghana’s electoral processes is through the IPAC.
He said, “if you look at the current CI, the 91, it says that the EC must conduct continuous registration and it says also that there must be a modality committee and that committee has been formed at IPAC. We expected NDC to be part, to be around so that we can all discuss issues that will take on board the interests of all stakeholders.”
“And this they have reneged. And so we will rather continue to call on them to come back to IPAC for all parties to discuss,” he continued.
Background
The NDC has since Wednesday, April 21, 2021, refused to attend meetings by the Inter-Party Advisory Committee saying the EC’s neutrality and independence has been compromised.
This was after the Committee had invited them, together with the other political parties to review the December 7, 2020 elections.
In a statement issued by then General Secretary of the party, who is the current Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, he said the EC was biased in favour of the NPP during the conduct of the elections, the reason the NDC boycotted the IPAC.
“The National Democratic Congress (NDC), declined an invitation by the Electoral Commission of Ghana to attend an IPAC meeting to review the 2020 Parliamentary and Presidential Elections which was scheduled for today, Wednesday 21st April 2021. The party took this decision because of the lack of candour, odious duplicity, and open bias that was displayed by the Jean Mensah-led Electoral Commission in favour of the New Patriotic Party in the conduct of the 2020 general elections,” Mr. Asiedu Nketiah signed a statement which said so in parts.
He continued that, the decision was to protest the EC’s biasness against the NDC.
“It is the considered view of the NDC, that the current leadership of the Electoral Commission who supervised the manipulation of the 2020 general elections and the stolen verdict that resulted from same, lack the integrity, credibility and impartiality to lead any such discussions or review of the very elections they rigged,” it said.
Meanwhile, a former Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, had advised the NDC to return to IPAC.
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