VCRAC-led Panel 'Kangaroo C'tee' – Baah

A former head of the Political Science department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Richard Amoako Baah, has rejected the decision of the Electoral Commission on the new voters' register, describing the panel instituted to advise the commission on the matter as a “kangaroo committee”.

He has also rubbished the conclusions arrived at by EC, in connection with the Panel’s advice, as one-sided.

“It is unilateral. The woman said it even before she set up the so-called kangaroo committee. She said we shouldn’t have it because we have 30,000 hot spots in the country. What was the information based on? Which means she had already decided,” Dr Baah explained in an interview with Ekow Mensah Shalders on the Executive Breakfast Show on Class91.3fm on Monday January 4, 2016.

The political scientist also said the EC failed to investigate and deal with allegations that there were 76,000 names of alleged foreign nationals on the electoral roll, which the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) raised red flags about last year.

“At least you should investigate and report to those, who presented the information whether it is true or not true, providing evidence that you have looked into it and the evidence presented [ by petitioners] is not acceptable. They have not done any of that,” Mr Amoako Baah alleged.

Dr. Baah believes the Commission should have held a stakeholders’ meeting with all parties involved, to deliberate on the matter and come out with a solution that will be acceptable to everyone. To him, the EC has failed to execute its mandate and he sees no reason in a Panel of five members taking such a critical decision for the EC.

“What is the job of the EC? To set up a board to decide things for them? They don’t read the constitution that it is not acceptable? They should not be influenced by anyone or any agency in society. Now they are telling us they have set up a committee to take decisions for them. How was the decision made? It was wrong. EC should have sat down with all concerned not the charade about presentations,” he reiterated.