UN envoy calls for fair trial in Ghana’s electoral disputes

The United Nations, on Monday, called on Ghana’s judiciary to ensure that election-related litigation brought before it is handled promptly with transparency and credibility such that its decisions fully reflect the will of the people.

Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, and the Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS, in a Press statement, urged the two main parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress(NDC), to uphold their commitment to respect the Peace Pact signed on December 4, in which they inter alia, committed to seek redress through constitutional and legal means for any electoral grievances.

The Special Representative wants the Ghanaian authorities to as a matter of urgency investigate the reported incidents of electoral violence in the December 7 polls.

The UN also called on the government to hold the perpetrators accountable in line with Ghana’s commitment to guaranteeing the respect of human rights and the rule of law.

“The Special Representative reiterates the commitment and support of the United Nations to the people of Ghana in their efforts to strengthen democratic processes and to achieve inclusive sustainable development, ” the Special Representative said.

The NDC has rejected the results of the polls which gives the NPP’s Nana Akufo-Addo over 51% of the valid votes cast. They have accused the Electoral Commission of rigging the polls for the incumbent.

NDC flagbearer John Mahama has publicly rejected results of the polls.

“In respect of the Presidential elections: the facts and figures available to us from pink sheets and other evidence that has unfolded across the country, indicate that numerous steps have been taken to manipulate the results of the election in favour of the incumbent President. This calls into question the credibility of one of our most important institutional pillars of democracy—the Electoral Commission. It is now obvious to many objective minds that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission has been used to manipulate results from the various constituencies and in that process seek to subvert the sovereign will of the Ghana People.

“We will not accept anything short of a declaration of the legitimate results, which point to an NDC Parliamentary Majority. 3 My Brothers and Sisters, advisedly, since the inception of the Fourth Republic, final election results have always been declared within 72 hours to allow for a thorough and diligent collation”.