PNC Stalwart, Atik Mohammed has rebuked former President John Dramani Mahama over his recent comments that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will reject the results of a flawed elections by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The former President said this during the 28th anniversary of the NDC on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.
EC To Rig Elections
Before former President John Mahama’s warning to the Electoral Commission, the NDC had challenged the Commission’s decision to compile a new voters’ register and also kicked against the use of only Ghana card and passport for the impending mass registration exercise.
The party believes the EC and the National Identification Authority (NIA) are conspiring to rig this year’s elections in order to retain President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in office.
The NDC leadership and members further accuse the EC of planning to disenfranchise many eligible Ghanaian voters.
NDC Goes To Supreme Court
The NDC has therefore petitioned the Supreme Court seeking two reliefs with the first being that the EC’s decision to compile a new voters’ register is in violation of Article 45 of the 1992 constitution which reads that the EC can compile a new register only once and periodically revise it.
While the second relief they are seeking the court to do is to determine whether or not the Commission’s decision to exclude the existing voters’ ID card is constitutional.
A seven panel-member of the court, presided over by the Chief Justice, heard the NDC’s case on Thursday, June 12, 2020 and directed the party to make a choice between the two reliefs explaining that, per the court rules, a party cannot seek a relief and also ask for another relief in the alternative.
NDC Abandons Case
However, during the hearing of the case at the Supreme Court, the party dropped the case of whether or not the EC can compile a new voters’ register and instead went for a declaration on whether or not the decision to exclude the voters’ ID card as a form of identification in the exercise is constitutional.
John Mahama Warns EC
Delivering a speech at the NDC’s 28th anniversary, Mr. Mahama served notice to the EC ahead of the December polls saying ”as leader of the NDC, I wish to serve notice that we shall do all our parts to ensure that our country remains peaceful and that the electoral process proceeds smoothly, but let nobody assume that we will accept the results of a flawed elections”.
Define ‘Flawed Election’!
Addressing the issue on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”, Atik Mohammed asked former President John Mahama to clarify his ambiguous statements, particularly now that his party has rejected their case against the compilation of a new voters’ register by the Electoral Commission (EC).
He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that Mr. Mahama’s warning to the EC is subject to different interpretations which, if care is not taken, will lead members and supporters of his party to misconduct themselves during the impending mass registration exercise and the December elections.
”What constitutes a flawed election? In the context of this new registration, how will that contribute or how will that lead to a flawed election?
”He needed to define for us what will constitute a flawed election. We all can be do our analysis on that basis but to just make a baseless comment while we’re about to do the registration and so forth, and now that you have agreed that we should compile a new register; how does it that fit into your definition of flawed election?”
Source: Peace FM