Election dispute can destabilize economy - Trade unionist warns

Veteran Trade unionist Abraham Koomson has sounded the alarm bells over the fallouts from the December 7 elections in Ghana.

The opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) had rejected the results announced by the Electoral Commission and a declaration of the incumbent Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo as president-elect.

The NDC is also challenging the parliamentary results, insisting that it will form the majority with over 140 seats in the 275 seat legislature.

Although the EC has denied the claims, the NDC supporters have resorted to street protests with the death toll from the post-elections violence rising to 5.

Abraham Koomson who is also the Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) told Starr News the post-election crisis can affect the economy by waning investor confidence.

“The new voters register was afflicted with flaws which manifested during the exhibition exercise raising credibility concerns. The demeanor of the EC chairperson before, during and after the elections can therefore not be said to be unexpected. The unpredictable consequences could affect investment drive and the economy” he said.

Mr. Koomson also shot down proposals for the NDC to seek legal redress.

“Relying on the law court now won’t be a viable option since the trial process will certainly be protracted and affect investor confidence. What has to be done now to avoid constitutional crisis is for a forensic audit to be done immediately by critical stakeholders to ascertain the accuracy of figures churned out by the EC against the almighty pink sheets” he noted.

On Monday, December 14, the NDC supporters massed up at headquarters of the Police Service to demand the release of a journalist being held for insulting and threatening President Akufo Addo in a Facebook video.