EC will be guided by national interest and rule of law
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Charlotte Osei, has stated that the commission would be guided by the principles of the rule of law, conscience and the national interest in deciding whether to compile a new voters register or not.
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She also said the final decision on whether or not to have a new voters register or to audit the current one, would be taken by the EC in line with and on the authority of the commission’s constitutional mandate.
Mrs Osei said this when she opened a two-day stakeholders’ forum on the voters register in Accra yesterday.
She stated that the debate on the register had, in the view of the commission, raised critical and fundamental issues in the public domain as to how an independent government institution such as the EC ought to make decisions on important issues.
She said, however, that at the end of the forum, the deliberations and exchange of views would provide the tools the EC would need to take a decision on the matter, to ensure that the 2016 elections would be credible.
Credible electoral process
Towards that end, she said, the commission would be launching a series of activities and implementing reforms on the 2012 elections agreed to by the political parties and civil society organisations.
“These activities and reforms, we are confident, would create a more inclusive, more transparent, efficient and credible electoral process and outcome,” she added.
She recounted that in the past few months, the credibility or otherwise of the voters register had been the focus of significant public attention and debate.
According to Mrs Osei, public discourse on the matter had been extremely passionate and polarising with leaders and supporters of political parties, traditional authority, civil society institutions, faith-based organisations and prominent citizens expressing their positions.
Credible register
Barely a year to the presidential and parliamentary elections, the EC chairman said, the need for a credible register, the starting point of credible elections, was obvious and important.
“As a commission, we have listened intently to the various viewpoints and embraced the public debate because at the heart of every democracy is the people, the electorate. And getting an engaged citizenry is the starting point of a successful election and a sustainable democratic process,” she stressed.
On the petitions of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), she said the EC had commenced internal investigations into the claims, saying significant progress had been made.
She also said the EC had requested additional documentation from the NPP to enable it to conclude its investigations, following which the commission would share its findings with the NPP in direct response to their petitions.
Neutrality
To ensure a transparent and accountable process for examining and determining the petition, the EC has constituted a panel of eminent Ghanaians to lead the hearing of the matter.
The EC, she said, had taken note of the concerns raised in the media by some stakeholders, especially supporters of the big political parties, about the neutrality of some members of the panel.
“It is, however, important to reiterate that the panel is here to listen and engage all stakeholders and help us arrive at a consensus and make recommendations to the EC. The findings and recommendations of the panel will be presented to the commission for a final decision which will be communicated to the public,” she said.
The Chairman of the Committee of Eminent Ghanaians, Mr Justice V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe, said the panel would listen carefully to all stakeholders, weigh all the evidence and make recommendations to the EC.
He expressed the hope that all concerned would be candid with the panel.
Writer’s email: [email protected]