EC getting fundamentals wrong - GBA

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has called on the Electoral Commission (EC), to execute its constitutional mandate with impeccable integrity for a transparent, credible and more acceptable polls on November 7.

According to the Association, the constant and frequent resort to the Supreme Court on electoral issues showed the EC is getting certain fundamentals wrong, especially as it is seen as not giving a hearing to certain groups.

Mr Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, the Brong-Ahafo Regional President of the GBA made the call when members of the Association joined worshippers at the Elim City Church on Sunday to commemorate the 34th Martyrs Day in Sunyani.

Justice Obiri Francis, a Human Right Court Judge in Kumasi and Justice Amos Buertey, a Supervising High Court in Sunyani also attended the service.

The GBA observes the solemn religious ceremony annually in memory of the three high court judges as martyrs of the Rule of Law who were abducted and murdered in cold-blood in 1982.

Tributes were paid in remembrance of the late Justices Mr Fred Poku Sarkodie, Mrs Cecilia Koranteng-Addow and Mr Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong.

Mr Tuah-Yeboah emphasised that the EC must listen to shades of opinions and suggestions without being perceived or seen to be charting the course of one group to the detriment of other groups, as it prepares to hold another crucial general election.

This, he noted, would enable the Commission to play its referee role more effectively than before in organising free, fair, transparent, credible and generally- acceptable polls, “which would raise the nation’s democratic credentials a few notches higher”.

Mr Tuah-Yeboah observed that the African continent is replete with a number of examples of the devastating consequences of electoral malpractices.

He expressed the hope that the EC would take a cue from the mistakes its sister-Commissions elsewhere had made in the past with its attendant dangers for their people.

“We Ghanaians do not want to join that bandwagon of elections, which only make mockery of democracy and put the continent into the spotlight for all the bad reasons,” he added.