The NPP, electoral reforms and Afari-Gyan’s epitaph

I choose the limits of my writing not your interpretation

The Electoral Commission’s announcement of its intention to open the Voters Register to allow first-time voters have their names written in the about 14 million capacity register has been met by antagonism.

As expected, leading opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP,) through its various agencies and activists, has started campaigning vehemently against the opening of the register. Their argument is that the voters register has not been cleaned since the 2012 elections, and as such it is unworthy for the Afari-Gyan-led EC to call for additions.

To them, it is worthy that the EC rid the register of ghost voters whose occupation of the national register has made it bloated. Dr. Afari-Gyan is quoted as admitting the voter register is bloated at the Supreme Court. Further, it is argued that the orders of Atuguba’s court for the EC to undertake reforms have not been followed hence it is out of place for the EC to add to the register. EC must subtract other than add; the NPP’s complaints can be summarised.

Quite Ghanaian, the ruling party which undeniably has been the beneficiary of the supposedly bloated register, has remained silent on the calls to perhaps push the EC as far as to the courts for them to do the ‘right thing.’ If the cliché of silence means concern is applicable in this sense, then it is worthy to mention that the NDC is jubilating over the complaints of a bloated register and by extension calling for the addition of more first-time voters most of whom arguably voted to return the NDC to power in 2009.

What also happened to the Progressive People’s Party (PPP’s) earlier call for electoral reforms which was submitted to the EC even before the commencement of the eight-month-old election petition case? Is it the case that the PPP and its leader, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, is not worth the attention of the over-hyped EC which integrity was questioned by the nine Supreme Court judges? At least, from the behaviour of the EC boss at the court, it could be concluded that the EC would take further reforms to ensure transparency.

The adage that animals behave differently when trapped and also react differently when they are let to go free is true; otherwise the good old, political science professor would not sit unconcerned as the political parties weep for a clean job to be done by his state funded institution. I fear to state that EC is slow but sure over-growing the state which is a creation of, hence it is necessary the state cracks its whip to bring it in line.

Indeed, calls for electoral reforms is a necessary evil to ensuring transparent polls in Ghana come 2016, and the NPP must be congratulated for the success of the country electorally, especially in opposition. But is their calls, I seek to know, stemming from their continual regret of not embarking on enough electoral reforms during their eight years in office? Or is it as a result of regret that the party also exploited the loopholes in the country’s electoral system, to their advantage in the 2004 elections especially. Their continual cry since returning to opposition in 2009 is in a way communicating to me that the latter question I believe is what is haunting the party.

If any lesson(s) is to be learnt from this then I believe the party has to sit down, reflect over such and know that they should not let the goodies of kingly ride overtake their sense of the next time they have the opportunity to be kings and queens of the Ghanaian people. Likewise, the NDC must also know that the tides would one day turn against them and have the goodies called electoral reform which they are throwing away be the very tunes they will be singing then.

It must be insisted that it is completely wrong for the NDC to uphold the bad all because it will be to their benefit in the short term. They ought not to play the ostrich and shield Dr. Afari-Gyan and his EC which all reasonable Ghanaians, can attest to, are performing poorly and have not lived up to the much touted glories credited to them abroad.

The seventy-year-old Afari-Gyan, who is retiring after several years in charge as a commissioner, ought to be reminded of the need to retire in peace other than pieces. Pieces not as in death but the thought of the past haunting him anytime he reflects over his deeds in office. Just like how the verdicts of the nine justices that sat on the unprecedented election petition case would be attributed to their names forever, so will Dr. Afari-Gyan and his deeds also be credited to him and his offspring? Therefore, he should make hay while the sun is shining and know a time cometh, when he may not have the opportunity to act like he wished again.

Deeds when done well cannot be summarised by one thousand spoken or written words. Therefore, Dr. Afari-Gyan, write your epitaph and no one must do it for you.