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Prosecute presiding officers who failed to sign pink sheets

 

The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has called for the prosecution of all the 905 presiding officers who failed to sign their respective pink sheets in the 2012 general elections.

He stated that such a move would help prevent such a phenomenon from recurring in the 2016 elections.

He noted that the Electoral Commission (EC) that engaged the services of these presiding officers at the various polling stations across the country must take steps to investigate the actions of the affected presiding officers and those found culpable must be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

He indicated that the reasons that would be given by those presiding officers for not appending their signatures to the election results would help improve the electoral system in future elections.

Mr Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as ‘General Mosquito,’ gave the call while addressing a forum organised by members of the Tertiary Educational Institutions Network (TEIN) of the NDC at the Pan African Christian University College (PACUC) at Gomoa Pomadze in the Central Region.

It was held on the theme: “The role of the youth in national development.”

According to him, any official of the EC who does not perform his of her constitutionally mandated responsibilities but becomes partisan in the discharge of his or her duties should be singled out and prosecuted if found to have engaged in an illegality.

He stressed that the failure of some presiding officers to sign the pink sheets could not render it invalid if signed by all party agents at the polling stations, and added that it could not have marred the 2012 elections and caused chaos in the country.

He added that the actions and inactions of presiding officers could ensure the credibility of the polls, as well as help in the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections.

Touching on the theme, he posited that the contributions of the youth towards the development of the country was very vital, with a call on them to help protect the peace in the nation since peace was the best prerequisite to achieve development. 

He urged the youth to build their capacity and be part of building our democracy, with the hope that current elders in leadership positions would hand the baton over to them in future.

Present were Dr Eric Don Arthur, a Senior Presidential Advisor, who chaired the function, Mr Isaac Kingsley Ahunu-Armah, Gomoa East District Chief Executive, and Mr James Fonu, a deputy National Youth Organiser of the NDC. 

 

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