The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it will compile its own election results at every polling station to crosscheck with the official results declared by the Electoral Commission (EC).
"We have been cheated twice in 1992 and 1996 by the NDC through rigging because we put our trust in the EC to conduct free and fair elections," Mr. Samuel A. Odoi-Sykes, National Chairman of the party declared in Accra Tuesday.
He said the opposition political parties in Senegal and Yugoslavia compiled their own election results, "thereby preventing the EC and the Supreme Court from stealing their victory".
Addressing a press conference, Mr Odoi-Sykes defended the party's proposed OAU method of voting it announced last week. He challenged the EC and the NDC to come up with their own proposals to check multiple voting if the OAU method is unacceptable to them.
Last week, Mr. Albert Arhin of the EC and Professor Kofi Awoonor, National Vice-Chairman of NDC, issued a statement rejecting the proposal.
The NPP Chairman said the party believes that the OAU method will reduce the chances of multiple voting given the bloated voters register for the December elections.
Explaining the OAU method, Mr. Odoi-Sykes said polling stations would open from 0700 - 1100 hours on election day for voters to check their names in the register while voting starts at 1100 a.m. "The system does not allow any body to join the queue once voting begins," he said.
"This ensures that no one is able to vote at station 'A' and then go to station 'B' after 1100 a.m. to join another queue to vote again." "Our suggestion is not aimed at any particular party. We aim to give credence to the electoral process and to ensure that the will of the people, freely expressed, is what emerges as the result of the elections on December 7," Mr Odoi-Sykes said.
He admits that the OAU method is cumbersome but says it will be a small price to pay to ensure fairness. He said there was overwhelming evidence of people fraudulently issuing multiple photo ID cards all over the country, "all involving NDC members." Mr. Odoi-Sykes stated: "we know about David Lamptey, MP for Klottey Korle constituency, the NDC women's organiser at Akim Oda, Esi Sarfo."
He said other reports from the regions indicate that NDC members and officers in the Brong-Ahafo, Greater Accra, Northern and Eastern Regions are also issuing voter ID cards.
