We must not let Ghanaians distrust the EC – Peace Council tells political parties

The National Peace Council (NPC) has urged political parties and stakeholders in Ghana’s democracy to trust and have confidence in the Electoral Commission (EC) when resolving challenges or issues related to the electoral process.

The council highlighted the EC’s comprehensive processes for resolving challenges related to voter registration and election conduct, emphasizing that these processes should be utilized to address any concerns from stakeholders.

“We must be careful the way and manner we portray the EC in our efforts to ensure transparency, fairness and credibility in its processes. Let us be careful not to push the EC into a situation where Ghanaians do not trust whatever the EC does,” the Executive Secretary of the NPC, George Amoh, told the Daily Graphic in an exclusive interview.

He emphasized that for the country to conduct credible elections, all Ghanaians, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), have a role to play. He encouraged the use of the Electoral Commission’s elaborate systems and procedures to address any problems or concerns.

Regarding the ongoing limited voters’ registration exercise, he advised political parties and their agents not to judge individuals’ eligibility based on their size or height.

Instead, he urged them to use the established procedure to challenge registrations if they believe someone is a minor or a foreigner.

“We do not need to fight at registration centres,” he said. 

Mr. Amoh emphasized the importance of encouraging eligible individuals to register instead of preventing them from doing so. He cautioned against generalizing limited issues of violence, arrests, and intimidation in some registration centers to the entire process.

“We should all be law-abiding and allow the systems to work,” he said, adding that the cost implications of deploying not only security personnel but political party agents was huge.

He suggested that the country should engage in a conversation after the elections to address and resolve any outstanding issues.