The Progressive Intellectuals group has called on the Electoral Commissioner of Ghana and it’s deputies to resign with immediate effect in reference to the statistical errors observed in the declaration of the results of both the presidential and some of the parliamentary polls that has led to civil unrest and chaos in the country.
According to them,the Electoral Commission(EC) management body who conducted the just-ended December 7 polls has lost credibility by it’s failure to enforce prescribed procedures of the electoral laws and totally believes the results was fraudulent and unacceptably procured.
A statement signed by the president of the Progressive Intellectuals group, Prof S B Kendie, says, “PI is, nonetheless, unhappy with and highly worried about the conduct of the Electoral Commission (EC) and its Commissioners in the aftermath of the polls. We wish to unreservedly express our displeasure and discontent with the way and manner the Commission collated and declared the presidential and some parliamentary results”.
This Follows the revision of the total valid votes declared by the EC on December 9, 2020, where EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa, announced wrong figures whereas subsequent communiques from the EC also contained some numerical errors.
The group stated, “Whether deliberate or otherwise, the gross statistical errors observed in the declaration of the results of both the presidential and some of the parliamentary polls all point to the fact that the Commission was not up to the task or was hastened to declare the results of the polls in favour of a particular political party – the NPP”.
We also strongly condemn the interference of state security personnel in the electoral ballot collation processes and the unwarranted use of brute military attacks by these personnel which have led to the deaths and maiming of citizens. This totally avoidable affair points to the inefficiency and failure of the Electoral Commission in the 2020 elections and brings the Commission into disrepute”, they added.
They stressed that, the Electoral Commission’s poor performance with regard to the collation and declaration of results has generated strife across Ghana and threatens to plunge the country into unnecessary civil unrest and chaos. Ghana has since the inception of its 4th Republic experienced relatively free, fair and transparent polls which ended in smooth transfer of power from one party to another and has thus become a beacon of democracy and peace with an enviable reputation in Sub-Saharan Africa”.
The Association further said, “we call on all peace-loving citizens to condemn the brazen attempt to subvert the will of the people and rise up to demand for a proper account for the presidential elections across the country supervised by a truly independent EC to reflect the true will and decision of the people. We are convinced by the constructive conduct of the current commissioners of the EC that, the once revered body has lost all credibility and would require that the EC boss and deputies resigned honourably.”.
The group, therefore, urged “civil society and well-meaning Ghanaians to rise up as citizens and not spectators to defend the constitution of Ghana, safeguard the rights of all Ghanaian voters to have credible results through the exercise of their franchise and to resist oppressors rule”. Anything short of this will not only derail the gains Ghana has made in its 4th Republic and jeopardize the nation’s democratic dispensation but can also plunge this peaceful country into civil unrest, the statement read.
Read the full statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT BY PROGRESSIVE INTELLECTUALS ON THE DECEMBER 7, 2020 GENERAL ELECTION
The Progressive Intellectuals (PI) wishes to congratulate the Ghanaian electorates for the civil and orderly manner they went to the polls to exercise their franchise during the 7th December, 2020 parliamentary and presidential elections.
PI is, nonetheless, unhappy with and highly worried about the conduct of the Electoral Commission (EC) and its Commissioners in the aftermath of the polls. We wish to unreservedly express our displeasure and discontent with the way and manner the Commission collated and declared the presidential and some parliamentary results.
The Electoral Commission’s poor performance with regard to the collation and declaration of results has generated strife across Ghana and threatens to plunge the country into unnecessary civil unrest and chaos.
Ghana has since the inception of its 4th Republic experienced relatively free, fair and transparent polls which ended in smooth transfer of power from one party to another and has thus become a beacon of democracy and peace with an enviable reputation in Sub-Saharan Africa. In each of these elections, losers as well as winners accepted the outcome of the polls and congratulated each other. Nevertheless, this is not the case with the December 7, 2020 elections that Mrs. Jean Mensah and her team conducted and supervised same.
Whether deliberate or otherwise, the gross statistical errors observed in the declaration of the results of both the presidential and some of the parliamentary polls all point to the fact that the Commission was not up to the task or was hastened to declare the results of the polls in favour of a particular political party – the NPP.
We also strongly condemn the interference of state security personnel in the electoral ballot collation processes and the unwarranted use of brute military attacks by these personnel which have led to the deaths and maiming of citizens. This totally avoidable affair points to the inefficiency and failure of the Electoral Commission in the 2020 elections and brings the Commission into disrepute.
In view of the several statistical errors in the results the EC used to declare the winner of the presidential elections and in view of the violence and other manipulations in several parliamentary contests, we totally associate ourself with the rejection of the results as being fraudulent and unacceptably procured.
We also note without surprise that in such crucial era, moral society is mute. Those who have dared to speak have only called for peace. But how can we achieve a state of peace when there is no justice? We call on all peace-loving citizens to condemn the brazen attempt to subvert the will of the people and rise up to demand for a proper account for the presidential elections across the country supervised by a truly independent EC to reflect the true will and decision of the people. We are convinced by the constructive conduct of the current commissioners of the EC that, the once revered body has lost all credibility and would require that the EC boss and deputies resigned honourably.
While we advocate for peace in the aftermath of the 2020 elections, this must be preceded by electoral justice and the EC must be responsible in this regard. PI is calling on civil society and well-meaning Ghanaians to rise up as citizens and not spectators to defend the constitution of Ghana, safeguard the rights of all Ghanaian voters to have credible results through the exercise of their franchise and to resist oppressors rule. Anything short of this will not only derail the gains Ghana has made in its 4th Republic and jeopardize the nation’s democratic dispensation but can also plunge this peaceful country into civil unrest.
God bless our homeland Ghana
SIGNED
Prof S B Kendie
President