44 Days to Go: Why are 13 people on the ballot paper - Prof Prempeh slams EC

The Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Prof. Kwesi Prempeh, has criticised the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) over the number of 13 presidential candidates on the ballot for the December 7, 2024 general election.

Speaking at the first anniversary public lecture in honour of the late Anthony Akoto Ampaw (Che Che) in Accra, Prof. Prempeh indicated that most of the contenders on the ballot paper were not properly vetted by the commission and should have been disqualified.

He said that if the commission had done a good job, it would have found that most of the parties and individuals contesting in the race are proxies for either of the two major political parties — the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He claimed that most of the small parties were set up purposely to influence decision-making at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) in favour of their paymasters, graphic.com.gh reports.

Prof. Prempeh, who is also the Project Director for West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS), added that the commission approved the nomination of the parties knowing very well that they do not meet the needed requirements.

Touching on the theme for the event, "The problems of democracy in Ghana's Fourth Republic,” the CDD boss said that Ghana has done well preserving its democracy despite the challenges of the country’s duopoly of political system and the effects of the winner-takes-all approach.

"Ghana indeed stands tall as an oasis of stable, steady democratic progress since the country returned to democracy in January 1993. This progress is made more remarkable against the backdrop of a post-independence national history marked by a successful failed attempt at institutionalising democratic government.

"Each past attempt terminated after only years of coup d'états, leaving the country with no history of a peaceful change of government through the ballot box before January 2001," he said.

About the late Akoto Ampaw:

The veteran Ghanaian lawyer and human rights activist died on October 20, 2023, at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).

Reports indicated lawyer Ampaw had not been well since the beginning of 2023.

Akoto Ampaw was the head of the legal team that defended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s win in the 2020 presidential elections at the Supreme Court.

The lawyer was tipped to be named the Special Prosecutor following the president’s assent to the Office of Special Prosecutor Bill.

Known as ‘Che Che’ right from his student days at the University of Ghana, Akoto Ampaw was part of the New Patriotic Party’s legal team in the Election Petition of 2013.

He was a partner of Akufo-Addo’s law firm, Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co.

Lawyer Ampaw had an impeccable legacy in the legal fraternity, especially championing human rights campaigns and fair justice.

He was a graduate of the University of Ghana, LL.B., 1973, and the Ghana School of Law, B.L., 1993.

BAI/AE

Meanwhile, catch up on the latest episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV with Etsey Atisu as he caught with Philip Atawura, who just returned from a successful kidney transplant in India.



In the meantime, follow Ernestina Asante as she tours the Asokwa Constituency and speaks with MP Patricia Appiagyei in this episode of Campaign Trail on GhanaWeb TV: