Don’t undermine EC's integrity - LPG urges parties
The General Secretary of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Jerry Owusu Appauh, has urged political parties to refrain from tainting the image of the Electoral Commission (EC) in the build-up to the country's general election.
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In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Appauh , called for responsible and constructive engagement with the electoral process, emphasising the need for political parties to refrain from unwarranted criticism and to seek redress through the appropriate channels.
The LPG general secretary emphasised the importance of maintaining the EC's credibility. "If we taint the image of the Electoral Commission and turn around to rely on them during our party internal elections, then we have a problem as politicians," he said.
Constructive engagement
Mr Appauh urged political parties to exercise restraint in their interactions with the EC, emphasising the importance of constructive engagement. "Anytime we attack the credibility of the EC, we embolden and broaden the minds of recalcitrant people to create chaos during elections," he added.
He also stressed the need for parties to address grievances through proper channels such as the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meetings rather than making public statements that could undermine the EC's credibility.
"We have only one Electoral Commission in our country. Therefore, we as political parties should refrain from badmouthing them all the time," Mr Appauh stated.
Premature statements
Regarding the allegation of a quantity of some Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits going missing, Mr Appauh cautioned political parties against making premature statements without verifying the facts.
"Political parties should verify the truth from the police before making any statement since the matter is with the police," he advised. This, he believes, will ensure accurate information guides the statements and actions of political parties.
Concerns
Mr Appauh expressed reservations about the National Democratic Congress's (NDC) call for an independent audit into the missing BVR kits. He suggested that such actions could potentially undermine the security of Ghana's electoral system.
He also hinted at suspicions of foul play by the NDC during their tenure in office, based on their current actions. This reflects the party's cautious approach to calling for independent audits and its desire to maintain trust in the electoral process.
Mr Appauh called on the Ghana Police Service which was currently investigating the stolen BVR kits from the EC headquarters to issue statements regularly at stages of their inquiry to let all stakeholders in the electoral process, especially political parties know what is happening and also to help put the minds of members of the public at ease.
Recall
The NDC at a press conference held in Accra last Monday, April 15, 2024 called for an immediate investigation into the alleged theft of certain election equipment from the EC’s headquarters in Accra.
The party said the sensitive nature of the missing equipment, which included critical biometric machines could potentially compromise the integrity of the December elections. The General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, who addressed the media, said the “lackadaisical attitude and dismissive responses” from the EC officials concerning the alleged theft was unacceptable and an insult to the intelligence of every Ghanaian.