The Electoral Commission (EC) has been asked to make public its itinerary leading up to the next general elections in 2016.
In a release issued on Saturday, November 16, 2013, the Coalition for Free, Fair, Transparent and Elections (COFFTRE) led by Kenneth Agyei Kuranchie, Managing News Editor for The Daily Searchlight, said Ghana faces civil war in 2016 given the procedures by which the election governing body is conducting its activities.
“In spite of the Constitutional Instruments C.I 75 which was laid before parliament for consideration and approval, as well as the existing 1992 constitution which guides the Electoral Commission to conduct elections in this country, the EC chose to use its whims and caprices to conduct the 2012 elections which resulted in many infractions across the country,” COFFTRE said in the release.
Below is the full text of the release:
GHANA FACES ‘CIVIL WAR’ IN 2016 UNLESS ELECTORAL COMMISSION DEMONSTRATES A ‘GLASS HOUSE EFFECT’.
One of the components of democracy is elections. From a political point of view, democracy is a system of government in which political leaders are chosen in regular, free, fair and transparent elections. Unfortunately, Ghana is likely to face ‘civil war’ in the 2016 elections because Ghanaians have lost faith in the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana.
In spite of the Constitutional Instruments C.I 75 which was laid before parliament for consideration and approval, as well as the existing 1992 constitution which guides the Electoral Commission to conduct elections in this country, the EC chose to use its whims and caprices to conduct the 2012 elections which resulted in many infractions across the country.
To our amazement, despite admissions by the Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Afari Gyan, on statutory violations and omissions during the cross examination at the Supreme Court, which could have overturned the results, the Supreme Court saw nothing wrong with Voting without biometric verification, Over voting, No Signature, Duplicate Serial numbers and so on, which suffered the dismissal of the land mark petition by the nine Justices of the Supreme Court of Ghana.
This ruling, which has become law, can be interpreted that, Voting without biometric verification, Over voting, No Signature, Duplicate Serial numbers would be allowed in the 2016 elections. Without doubt, such a scenario would portend that we are dealing with over 26000 flashpoints in election 2016. Note, not potential flashpoints, but actual flash points.
It is in this direction thatwe have come together as a Coalition to push forward an agenda that would ensure an election that Ghanaians can live with in 2016. The Coalition intends to rescue Ghanaians from very likely war in 2016.
In that direction, the Coalition for Free, Fair and Transparent Elections is calling on the EC to grant Ghanaians certain immediate reliefs.
The EC must create a ‘Glass House Effect’ in its operations. By Glass House Effect, we mean that the EC must grant the fullest, 100% access to all its decisions, documents and records and the rationale for taking such decisions. It must be like a glass house, into which every Ghanaian who is interested can look at any time to establish what is going on. We would demand a regime of ‘no secrets’ at the EC.
The Coalition demands from the Electoral Commission within two weeks, to publish its itinerary or roadmap leading up to election 2016. By this we mean that the EC must publish its operations calendar, such as when it would conduct registration, when registration would be completed, when the final register would be ready, and when this register would be made available to all players, including all members of the general public. It also includes the provision and publication, for the benefit of the general public, complete samples of all material for use during elections.
The EC must agree that all its decisions would be arrived at only after the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) has come into agreement, as to the mode and nature of documentation for employment in every aspect of election 2016.
The EC must give complete undertaken that it would not employ any item, document, machinery or any other material without approval by parties to the election.
It is the intention of the Coalition that these demands would become the reality. In that direction, we give the EC one month to tell Ghanaians what it intends to do about the demands stated above. Failure to engage us on these demands would lead to further action on our part.
In the meantime, the Coalition is calling on members of the general public desirous of saving Ghana from imminent war in 2016 to join our membership.
It is now clear that Ghanaians have lost hope in the judiciary at least when it comes to electoral matters. Too often we hear people saying ‘no court in 2016’.
If care is not taken, no political party would be interested in solving any election dispute in Court in 2016.
This perception is further strengthened by the over 30 parliamentary disputes which are locked up at various stages at the High Court in relation to the 2012 elections. We ask, can we really call upon dissatisfied candidates to go to court in 2016, giving the history of the Isaac Amoo case, the presidential election petition hearing and the pace of the parliamentary disputes? The refusal by candidates to go before the courts would only increase the pressure at the polling stations and collation centres in 2016.
To prevent real trouble, we must all begin to work now.
That is why we are calling for membership across Ghana. This process belongs to Ghanaians.
Finally, the coalition has the intent of fielding members to the over 26000 polling stations across the country to monitor and observe the 2016 elections.
We are therefore calling on well meaning Ghanaians for assistance to recue Ghana from going to ‘war’.Only Ghanaians can prevent this ‘war’ therefore all must come on board.
