Election 2008 can't be rigged - Ziedeng

As far as the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) is concerned, there ought not to be any panic, anxiety or crying of wolf regarding the freeness and fairness of Election 2008.

This, the party leadership stated, is because unlike previous times, the system of monitoring elections in Ghana has been improved upon, and been made secure by the Electoral Commission in concert with electoral funding agencies and the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) on elections in Ghana.


There ought not to be any panic on the part of anybody or group of people; and there is no need crying wolf, when we have a machinery in place we all helped to create and which we need, to nurture ... rigging of elections in 2008 or any other period in the future will not be easy because of the greater involvement of all the political parties from polling station level to the strong-rooms of the EC,” the party stressed.


Bede Ziedeng, Deputy General Secretary of the Democratic Freedom Party, also gave the assurance Thursday in response to fears and anxiety on the part of the general public or political interest groups that there could be rigging of Election 2008 and reprisal overtures by the opposition parties, creating an atmosphere of panic and civil disorder.


He was speaking with GO on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the founding of the DFP and how effectively the DFP has put its campaign structures in place and positioned itself to engage the other parties in the 2008 electioneering campaign.


"As far as the DFP is concerned, there is no ground and basis for such crying of wolf, particularly when all the political parties are fully aware of the fact that elections are won and lost at the level of polling stations. If there is any such fear and anxiety, all we need to do is strengthen our polling station monitoring systems as effectively as possible."

According to him, no party therefore needs to worry itself over rigging allegations, when results are declared in 2008, as long as they have put in place quality polling station agents and mechanisms, that will ensure that their party is not cheated at that level.


Citing the case of the controversial Pru results, he said the efficacy in the current system of monitoring was made manifest when "in spite of the fact that the ballots were burnt, there were tally sheet results available from polling stations that were used to determine which party and candidate won in the constituency."


"What we have now is results being declared at polling station level, and collated at a constituency centre, where the winner in the constituency is declared. That same collation is done at polling station level for the Presidential elections but declared at the Electoral Commission. If you therefore fail to lodge your complaints at the constituency level for redress, we believe there is no point coming down from there to make noise about rigging. "


Briefing newsmen earlier last week on the strides the DFP has made in the last one year and what structures the DFP itself has put in place to ensure free and fair elections in 2008, Bede disclosed that they have almost completed, putting in place all the necessary structures not only for effectively contesting in the 2008 elections, but also contributing to the process of free and fair elections in the interest of all Ghanaians, by training and equipping its own polling agents to enhance the process and protect the DFP's stakes in the elections on polling day in 2008.


He told the press that the presence of the DFP in the IPAC has been a blessing to the Committee and the nation because of the phenomenal input they have been making at IPAC meetings, all in the interest of deepening democracy and building political tolerance in the country.

The party has settled on March 14, 2008 as the date to hold its National Delegates Congress to elect its National Executives and a flag bearer for 2008.


The date for the opening of nominations, the party said, will however be announced by the NEC in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the DFP after regulations governing such elections have been determined.


Nominations will also be opened in April 2008 for the conduct of the primaries to elect candidates to contest the 2008 elections on the ticket of the DFP.