EC urged to uphold electoral integrity

The PALI Center for Governance and Civic, non-state organization, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to remain focused and resolute in its quest to deliver impartial, credible and transparent elections.

The Center also asked that political parties and the public exercised restraint and allowed the electoral management body to carry out its constitutional mandate.

This was contained in a statement signed by Paa Kumi Frank, the Founding President, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Accra.

The EC’s decisions must be guided by its constitutional obligations of delivering an impartial, credible and transparent elections to Ghanaians.

"As a non-state actor, the PALI Center for Governance and Civic, will like to urge the electoral management body EC, to remain focused and resolute even in the midst of a seemingly unconducive environment so as not to succumb to the direction of any external forces.”

The statement said it was convinced that well-meaning Ghanaians would support the Commission in their efforts to provide a credible voters’ roll for election 2020.

It counseled the public against interfering with the operational strategies and decisions of the EC, adding that even though public opinion and stakeholders’ input played vital role in shaping inclusive governance and participatory democracy, people needed to be conscious of where to draw the line.

The Center encouraged the main opposition party together with its constituents to explore legitimate means addressing their concerns.

The governing New Patriotic Party should be circumspect in its utterances and to allow the EC to speak for itself.

"We finally urge the national security apparatus to be on red alert and to employ civility in dealing with any person or group of persons whose actions and utterances are likely to endanger public peace before, during, and after election 2020," the statement added.