EC repeating old mistakes – NPP

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says the Electoral Commission (EC) has failed to learn from its past mistakes and continues to “joke” with the electoral processes in the country.

According to the party, as of the morning of Saturday, July 4, the EC had not given the NPP the list of names of election officials for the Talensi by-election despite repeated official requests for the document.

The First Vice Chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay, at a press conference in Bolgatanga on Saturday, said the EC is governed by laws and it has no powers to ignore the electoral laws it is supposed to work with to ensure smooth conduct of elections in the country.

“Regulation 17 (6) of C.I. 75 states the Commission shall (a) publish at the District Office of the Commission, the names of persons it proposes to appoint as Presiding Officers and Polling Assistants not later than 10 days before an election. (b) Furnish a copy of the published names to a political party which requests for it.”

The party said owing to the delay in releasing the document, the EC had breached regulation 17 (b) and thus gives no room for any political party to challenge the legibility of persons it proposes to appoint as Presiding Officers and Polling Assistants, especially those who may be known members of political parties or have openly supported a political party.

“Today, ladies and gentlemen is July 4, three days before polling day and yet the list of election officials has not been made public. It remains a heavily guarded state secret. Moreover, even if it is made public immediately after this news conference, no party or person will be entitled to object to any of the names, even if it becomes established that such and such persons are known card-bearing members of a political party.

Another related difficulty we have has to do with the recruitment exercise for those same temporary staff, numbering hundreds for this by-election. The entire exercise took place without any transparency whatsoever. We find it most disturbing that after all the difficulties that were encountered and exposed in the 2012 general elections and election petition, the EC appears to be repeating the same mistakes that affect the integrity of public polls.”

DAILY GUIDE gathered that indeed the list of names of election officials was released to the NPP after it complained about the delay during its press conference.

The party also had problems with the Police and accused the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Simon Yao Afeku of succumbing to political pressure to prevent the NPP from holding its final rally in the Talensi constituency yesterday before the Tuesday polls.

However, the police allowed reasons to prevail after the press conference by the NPP.