Today in 2016: EC creating unnecessary tension – Former IGP

Today marks exactly four years when former Inspector General of Police, Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of creating unnecessary tension in the country ahead of the December polls that year.

According to him, the EC then led by Madam Charlotte Osei acted in a manner that increased tension and security threats in the country.

“If the EC ups its work and put the necessary things in place, it would reduce the need for security officers during the elections by fifty per cent. We don’t need more security officers during elections if you revise the electoral system. Fifty per cent of the tension about this year’s election can be taken away by the EC,” he said in an interview with Kasapa FM.

Read the original story published by Kasapa FM on June 9, 2016

The former Inspector General of Police during the erstwhile Kufour Administration, Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of creating unnecessary tension in the public as Ghana goes to the polls in November.

According to him, the EC appears not to have learnt its lessons from the 2012 elections and is unashamedly acting in a manner that will see a repetition of the same mistakes.

Barely five months to the general elections, there’s still controversy over the ruling of the Supreme Court on persons who registered with their National Health Insurance Cards to vote in the last general elections.

While a section of the public think the apex court directed the EC to delete names of such persons on the voters' register, the EC has insisted that the Supreme Court’s May 5 ruling on the voters’ register did not instruct them to delete the names of those who registered with NHIS cards as proof of identity ahead of the 2016 elections.

They further claimed that after studying the ruling, their understanding does not also suggest the use of any new process to delete the names of those who registered with NHIS cards, other than the existing processes for removing ineligible voters.

But speaking to Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, Mr P.K Acheampong stated that there is no point in haggling overruling, adding that the EC has a crucial role to play in removing the tension.

“If the EC ups its work and put the necessary things in place, it would reduce the need for security officers during the elections by fifty per cent. Whether there are soldiers, police or Fire Service officers, no one can vote twice, as it is the case in other countries. We don’t need more security officers during elections if you revise the electoral system. Fifty per cent of the tension about this year’s election can be taken away by the EC.

“A large part of the fear about this election can be taken away by the EC, the electoral body could have decided on their own volition to go electronic voting which would have eliminated double voting which also creates confusion.