FLASHBACK: No EC can rig elections for any party – Prof Gyampo

Senior Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Yaw Gyampo in February 2020, asked politicians to discard the idea that the Electoral Commission can in any manipulate election results in their favour.

Professor Gyampo made this comment while bemoaning the tendency of ruling political parties to support the Electoral Commission whiles opposition parties tend to reject programmes and policies undertaken by the EC.

Read the full article as first published by 3news.com below:

Political Science professor, Ransford Yaw Gyampo has called for a cessation in the phenomenon where political parties in power tend to support the Electoral Commission (EC) while those in opposition continue to reject any major programmes by the election-management body.

“We should know that no Electoral Commission has what it takes to rig elections in favour of any political party,” he stressed.

“Otherwise the NDC shouldn’t have been in opposition now.”

Prof Gyampo was speaking on Hot Issues on TV3 as regards protests by some political parties against the EC’s resolve to compile a new voters’ register for the December elections.

The Inter-Party Resistance Against the New Register (IPRAN) led by National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has been vociferous in their protests against the EC’s move.

Among the reasons for their protests, the parties, notably among them the National Democratic Congress (NDC), fear the move could favour the ruling party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

But Prof Gyampo advised all political parties to know what really wins election and rather focus attention on that.

“Winning an election requires vigilance,” he emphasized, citing how in 2016 despite their demands for a new voters’ register, the opposition party then, the NPP, emerged victorious as a result of their vigilance at the polls.

For him, the need for a voters’ register lies in the arguments made by stakeholders.

While the EC is justified, he said, more stakeholder engagement needs to be carried out before the prosecution of such a major decision.

He contested the reason adduced that the 2012 register was compiled in an election year by then Chair, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, and so it can be same this year.

“In the lead-up to the 2012 elections, because of the introduction of that electoral activity, there was so much tension [and] chaos to the extent that people [died]…and property was destroyed.”

He said that even led to the landmark election petition.