'Charcoal face' EC bosses lack moral right to condemn electoral violence - Kwesi Pratt

Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt has thrown tantrums at the Electoral Commission (EC) for condemning the violent acts at registration centres across the nation.

Self-Defence

Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Hawa Koomson brandished a gun at the Step to Christ voters' registration centre in the Awutu Senya East constituency in the Central Region on Monday, July, 20, 2020.

According to her, she got a tip that her political opponent had bused some unknown persons to participate in the ongoing registration exercise in the constituency.

She said she went to the center herself with her gun to protect herself and her people but fired shots when chaos erupted.

The Minister claimed she acted in self-defence after fearing for her life.

“I realised the lives of my people were in danger. So I wanted to scare the people. I fired the warning shots. I didn’t direct it at anybody,” she told Adom News.

EC Condemns Violence

Following the Minister's action, the Electoral Commission issued a statement to register their displeasure with the chaotic situations at some registration centers.

The EC accused political party supporters and sympathizers of perpetrating the violent acts.



The Commission explained what happened in Kasoa saying some unidentifiable gunmen disrupted the process by firing gun shots and attacked officials at the centre.

"The Commission condemns such acts during a civil exercise like the Registration of Voters and calls on security agencies to investigate the issue as a matter of urgency to bring the perpetrators to book. These acts constitute a breach of the Vigilante and Related Offenses Act, 2019 Act 999. The Act seeks to disband violent activities of Political Parties and makes political vigilantism an offence punishable by a prison term," the Commission said in a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com.

It urged the public, particularly the party agents, to use the appropriate medium to amicably challenge ineligiblity of an applicant to register his or her name.

"The Commission reminds the public, particularly Political Party agents, that any person who wishes to challenge an Applicant on the basis of ineligibility must fill a Challenge Form, which will then be presented to the District Registration Review Committee for a ruling on the matter. Political Party agents are therefore cautioned against the use of violence to challenge a person’s eligibility."

Kwesi Pratt Fires Shots At EC

Speaking on 'Kokrokoo' on Peace FM, Kwesi Pratt questioned the morality of the EC to condemn violence in the country.

According to him, the electoral management body itself doesn't respect the country's laws, otherwise they wouldn't have gone to some Secondary Schools to register the students.

He added that the EC Bosses have painted their faces with 'charcoal' and decided to do whatever they want.

"Do they, themselves, abide by the laws? If they comply with the laws, would they use secondary schools as registration centres when they are not gazetted. They don't obey the law but expect others to obey it. The Electoral Commission, itself, doesn't respect the law; so why would someone else not infract the law?

"You've painted your faces with charcoal to disturb Ghanaians. What's happening today? I'm so, so, so embarrassed by this development," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.