EC criticisms normal – Analyst

Criticism of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana is not out of place, but the commission needs to work at gaining public trust, a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana, Dr Ransford Gyampo, has suggested.

According to the political analyst, it is normal practice for opposition parties to point accusing fingers at the Electoral Commission as it forms part of the democratic process.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has, on several occasions, opposed the EC over various decisions and accused the chairperson of being “in bed” with the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The party raised issues about some 76, 000 individuals it said were foreigners on Ghana’s voter roll, a concern the electoral body dismissed. The party also accused the EC of empanelling some individuals with allegiance to the NDC on the 18-member steering committee it recently inaugurated to oversee the general elections on November 7.

Dr Gyampo told Ekow Mensah-Shalders on Class 91.3 FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Monday 22 February that such criticisms against the EC by opposition parties have “been part of our political discourse and a feature of every transitional democracy”.

The Senior Fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs, however, cautioned the EC to institute an effective communication system to keep stakeholders abreast of its activities.

He also charged the commission to implement proposed electoral reforms in order to regain public confidence ahead of the November 7 presidential and parliamentary polls.

“It is important for the EC to remain focused and resolute to let people know, do some public relations to sell whatever they are doing, not only to political parties, but to all key election stakeholders, and it is these things that will help nip in the bud …some of these cynical criticisms that tend to be levelled against the EC. I’ll also urge the EC to act on all proposals of electoral reforms and let the public know whatever it is implementing,” he advised.