Continue to be transparent - Dr Osae-Kwapong entreats EC

A political scientist, Dr John Osae-Kwapong, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to continue to find ways to make every step of the process in preparation for the elections as transparent as possible.

He said the EC in pursuing its path of transparency should ensure that it did not cede its independent mandate or violate any laws governing elections. “The EC must continuously strive to use the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) platform

. I agree that it is an advisory body whose decisions are not binding upon the EC, but it offers an important platform to structure a positive relationship with political parties and build consensus on critical electoral matters,” he told the Daily Graphic in an interview.

Dr Osae-Kwapong said for an EC operating under a heavy cloud of very little trust, “such steps can go a long way to allow voters restore some of that lost trust.

Context

The interview followed the brouhaha surrounding the issue of allowing party agents to observe the ongoing transfer of votes. At an IPAC meeting prior to the commencement of the exercise, it was agreed the party agents could observe the exercise but the EC later asked its regional directors to stop party agents from observing the exercise.

After the exercise commenced on May 30, this year, the commission said it received reports of clashes between agents of the political parties, namely the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as agents of both political parties sought to unlawfully prevent voters from transferring their votes at some of the district offices. 

But in a release to rescind the second decision, the EC said it was part of efforts to deepen transparency, accountability and to encourage peaceful electoral processes ahead of this year’s general election.

IPAC

Dr Osae-Kwapong said it was for that reason that when the EC wanted to rescind its decision to allow political party agents to observe the voter transfer exercise, it would have gone back to IPAC first, to express its concerns and indicate how it proposed to deal with the situation.

He said it was a delicate exercise between maintaining independence and allowing for input from political parties which the EC could find ways to deal with. He said the success of those administrative exercises, including the upcoming election, was not solely the responsibility of the EC.

“This is why the conduct of supporters of our two main political parties must receive increased attention from our law enforcement agencies. These supporters must try their very best not to allow the worst of their political temperaments to get in the way of such very simple administrative exercises.

“Why must queuing to transfer votes result in a violent confrontation?” he asked. Dr Osae-Kwapong said all Ghanaians, including key institutions, had a part to play in ensuring that “we have a peaceful, free and fair elections come this December.

“As the EC itself asserts, this is to ensure greater transparency in preparation for the 2024 elections,” he stated.