Let’s support EC to deliver credible polls — CSOs platform
The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Platform on Good Governance has called on Ghanaians to support the Electoral Commission (EC) in its work to deliver credible, transparent, free and fair election.
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According to the CSOs Platform, all Ghanaians must strive to ensure the success of this years general election.
“The conduct of the election is a collective responsibility and we do not need spectators at this point. Let’s all get involved to ensure we have a credible, transparent and a peaceful election”, it stated.
The Coordinator of the CSOs platform in the Northern Region, Mr Alhassan Mohammed Awal, made the call at a multi-stakeholders forum on peaceful, transparent and credible elections held in Tamale last Thursday.
The forum was organised by the Northern Regional Office of the National Peace Council and NORSAAC, a Tamale-based non -governmental organisation (NGO), to create a platform for all CSOs working on election projects to discuss their strategies, best practices and emerging issues that must be confronted to give the desired outcome of the election.
Attacks on State Institutions
Mr Awal reminded Ghanaians to respect and protect the various state institutions.
He noted that attacks on state institutions such as the EC had negative implications for our democracy and also had the tendency to instigate citizens against the very institutions that “we have established and benefited from”.
Mr Awal was, however, quick to add that constructive criticisms were needed to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of state institutions such as the EC.
Calls for the resignation of EC Chair
Mr Awal also used the occasion to call on Ghanaians to disregard calls by some individuals for the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Charlotte Osei, to resign following the recent court rulings against the EC to re-instate the presidential candidates of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, and the All People’s Congress (APC), Mr Hassan Ayariga, after the commission disqualified them.
According to Mr Awal the calls for the resignation of the EC chairperson at this point in time of the electoral process would not augur well for the country and rather suggested to all Ghanaians to be vigilant and work with the commission as a body to ensure that it adhered to the agreed principles and laws.
Mr Awal cautioned members of the platform to be careful during their private conversations with politicians on their political affiliations in order to maintain their neutrality, independence and integrity.
