Rise up for electoral integrity now - NDC calls out moral society
The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has emphasised the need for moral society to rise up and take proactive measures to ensure a peaceful election this year.
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He said to ensure peaceful elections in December, religious leaders, traditional authorities and civil society organisations must begin to call on state institutions involved in the conduct of elections to approach their duties with professionalism, fairness and honesty.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Accra yesterday, Mr Nketiah said moral society must not wait till November or December to call for the necessary measures that would contribute to free and fair elections.
“The officials serving in these institutions, security, judiciary and the Electoral Commission must constantly be reminded of their oaths of office,” he said.
He said the party had taken a firm stance against the decision of the Electoral Commission (EC) not to use indelible ink for voter identification as part of its comprehensive plan for the upcoming 2024 general election.
Challenges
Mr Nketiah expressed concern over the economic challenges faced by Ghanaians, predicting a difficult year ahead due to the imposition of heavy taxes on businesses and individuals.
He attributed last year's hardships to mismanagement and called for government’s intervention to alleviate the burden on citizens.
Amid these concerns, Mr Nketiah expressed hope for the future, stating that the NDC is poised to win the upcoming elections, with former President John Mahama expected to take office.
He highlighted Mr Mahama's track record, citing his handover of revenue-generating oil fields and robust revenue streams to the current government.
Mr Nketia also criticised the current administration for its handling of the economy, pledging that Mahama would implement measures to improve the situation.
In addition to economic issues, Mr Nketia addressed the issue of electoral violence, vowing that the NDC would pursue justice against perpetrators if it won power.
He emphasised the need for moral society to rise up and ensure peaceful elections in 2024 while calling for proactive measures to prevent violence.
Furthermore, Mr Nketia outlined the NDC's plans to reduce the number of ministers and allocate funds to the local level.
He said the outcome of the recently held District Level Elections had given an indication that Ghanaians were fed up with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and were willing to return power to the NDC.
“Already, thousands of persons affiliated to the NPP have lost the District Level Elections.
Yes, NPP people have miserably lost the Assembly and Unit Committee elections to members, supporters and affiliates of the NDC,” he said.
Indelible ink
He said the NDC had taken a firm stance against the decision of the Electoral Commission not to use indelible ink for voter identification as part of the EC’s comprehensive plans for the upcoming year and the 2024 general election.
“Let me be abundantly clear one more time.
The NDC is diametrically opposed to the Electoral Commission’s decision not to use indelible ink during elections.
We are all aware of the many unanswered questions about the integrity of the voters’ register too.”
“The discontinuation of the use of indelible ink in Ghana’s elections at this stage will open the floodgates for nefarious activities that will compromise the integrity of our election.
This problem is exacerbated by the many unanswered questions about the integrity of the voters register,” he said.
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