EC failed to build a strong IPAC – IDEG Boss

Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey has criticized the Electoral Commission (EC) for failing to reach consensus and collaborations with the political parties at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meetings prior to the elections.

Dr. Akwetey noted that at the moment the IPAC has broken down, otherwise, he said, the committee should have been able to deal with issues that are emerging from the just-ended presidential and parliamentary elections.

He made these comments while speaking on TV3’s Key Points programme on Saturday, December 19.

His comments come on the heels of the refusal of the Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama to accept the results of the elections, a situation that has thrown supporters of the party onto the streets across the country to agitate against the elections management body.

Mr. Mahama claimed that the EC manipulated the results in favour of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo hence, his inability to accept the results.

But Dr. Akwetey told host of the Key Points Abena Tabi that “I think that so far, we have had mechanisms, the IPAC was important in getting the parties to come to some consensus and to collaborate with the EC.

“There were times that their agreements led to reforms. The compilation of a new elections register, for instance, the introduction of biometric system in voter registration came from an IPAC discussion and an agreement between the parties.

“All the reforms that we have had in elections which have been written in law came through the IPAC and the agreements that the parties reached. So in that case, I think that the situation that we are facing today, a lot of it has to do with how the EC did not manage the IPAC process.

“For collaborations or consensus it takes time and the fact that as we speak now consensus and deliberations have broken down at the IPAC level.”