A former Deputy Information Minister under John Dramani Mahama, Felix Kwakye Ofosu has lamented the addiction of the current Electoral Commission leadership to bad decision-making. He wondered why the EC is so prone to making wrong decisions.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu’s comment follows the unpopular decision of the EC to prevent party agents from monitoring the voter transfer exercise. The Electoral Commission decided to prevent party agents from monitoring the exercise. One of the parties that have been left infuriated by the decision is the NDC.
According to the party’s Director of Elections and IT, Dr Omane Boamah, an agreement was reached at the last IPAC meeting to allow party agents to monitor the process. However, the EC turned on the political parties.
Taking to X to express his misgiving, Felix Kwakye Ofosu asked why party agents should not monitor the process.
“What is it with the current leadership of the EC and senseless decision-making? Why should parties not have agents at EC offices to monitor the voter transfer process?” he wondered.
However, the NDC has defied the directive and instructed its agents to be at the centres to monitor the transfer exercise. A statement by the party said the directive of the “Electoral Commission can only be in furtherance of the suspected devious and sinister agenda of the Commission to manipulate the processes leading to the 2024 elections”
“The National Democratic Congress therefore hereby calls on all its agents across the country to defy and disregard this outrageous directive by the Electoral Commission. All structures of the party, particularly Regional and Constituency Secretariats, are hereby directed to deploy NDC agents to all district offices of the EC to closely monitor the ongoing voter transfer exercise.”
It promised to remain vigilant throughout the process to ensure transparency.
“With Eagle Eyes, the NDC shall remain vigilant through our trusted agents across the country and resist any attempt by the EC to engage in gerrymandering or manipulate the processes leading to the upcoming 2024 elections.”
Meanwhile, Albert Arhin, National Coordinator of the Coalition for Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), said the EC went beyond its limits to try to prove its credibility but it has backfired. He commented based on the EC’s argument that the decision to allow party agents to monitor the process was not grounded in law.
Albert Arhin said he has never seen party agents monitoring the exercise so he was surprised. He, however, advised that the parties involved need to reach a consensus for peace to prevail.
“I was surprised when I got there because it has never happened in any transfer of votes that you send people there as observers. It is the first time and look at what has happened?
“My personal view is that the way this thing is going, either the Peace Council can come in and talk to both parties so that peace can prevail. If we forget about it and let this thing to continue, we are not going to have a peaceful transfer of votes. It is sending a bad signal to this year’s election,” Albert Arhin said on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on June 3.