Dr Afari-Djan Admits The Voters Register Is Not Credible: Npp Uk

After another closely contested 2012 parliamentary and presidential elections and the ensuing petition to the Supreme Court one would have thought that hard lessons would have been learnt by all, especially the Chairman of the Ghana Electoral Commission, Dr Kwajo Afari-Djan. Though the petition was narrowly defeated by a vote of 5-4 at the SC, several irrefutable revelations were laid bare, and certainly the Electoral Commission did not come out unscathed. There is the folly though, in the EC myopically construing the SC verdict as a vindication of the EC from all the violations, irregularities, omissions, and illegalities perpetuated by officers and agents of the EC during the concluded 2012 presidential elections. A year and a bit down the line, NPP UK observes, we are still shackled with the same Electoral Commissioner who hasn't had the decency to call it a day and resign. We are still faced with the same dangerous inaction and inefficiencies of the same Dr Afari-Djan at a time credible and tangible steps ought to be seen to be taken by the EC to forestall a recurrence of 2012 events, and avert unpredictable consequences in 2016. An option to go to court rather than take to the streets, was exercised by the NPP Presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. That was never a definite option before he took it. Nothing should be taken for granted in the future, especially, given the sort of verdict issued by the Supreme Court to the petition.

It is said that it is polite to acknowledge the least good anyone extends to you, therefore, it behooves upon us in NPP UK Branch, to hereby acknowledge a significant admission by Dr Afari-Djan, hoping that would gear him up to be 'benevolent' enough and to extend further acts of goodness to the nation.

On Saturday 10th January 2015, Dr Afari-Djan, the Electoral Commissioner of Ghana, surprised a delegation of regional executive members of the political parties from the Eastern and Central regions, to the EC offices, when he admitted during an open forum, that the Voters' Register in its current form is not credible. It's quite interesting to note that this very same Dr Afari-Djan had on previous occasions, brushed aside calls and concerns regarding the voters register. It is therefore no mean climb down, for him to now make this admission, and so must be lauded. But then...in so saying/admitting, the good Dr left the expectant parties executives rather high and dry when he added however, that the EC does not have the power to sanitize the very obvious anomalies and irregularities present in the register in its current form. He in fact went further than mere expressions, and showed ample evidence of instances of patently unmistakable minors, some as young as four years old, duly registered and appearing on the electoral register. Ostensibly passing the buck, he said civil society and parents of such minors should take it upon themselves to come forth and request the removal of these irregularly registered minors and other persons! How preposterous! If a parent personally, or in connivance with his party's agent and the registering EC official got a minor registered, what act of God, does Dr Afari-Djan expect to have occurred since, for those crooked parents to voluntarily return to request to have their wards expunged from the register? More like wishful thinking!

NPP UK's take on this admission and added evidence by Dr Afari Djan, is that it is a good first step, but then, we do not agree, and pertinently, most balanced minded individuals, do not agree, that the EC does not have the wherewithal to act proactively! To us, it is more like, the EC does not have the inclination to seek such power from the courts, in order to make the Voters' Register credible! We hasten to point out that the EC is not exonerated simply by admitting to the existence of fraudulently registered minors and others. To move from a credible charge of pulling wool over the peoples' eyes, Dr Afari-Djan must demonstrate in this instance, the same tenacity he showed in bulldozing his every wish in the lead up to the 2012 general elections. Though it wasn't urgent, nor particularly significant to the conduct of the 2012 elections, Dr Afari -Djan ignored all protests from all parties except the ruling NDC, abetted the Minister for Local Government to gerrymander the creation of 45 extra districts, and constituencies, and then rushed Parliament into passing an amendment to CI.75 that established those new constituencies. That is the 'fighter' of a man that we have become accustomed to, not one who throws up his hands in resignation as he purports to do now in claiming to have no power to intervene to sanitize the Voters Register.

In short, where there is the will for Dr Afari-Djan, there is a way for Dr Afari-Djan! NPP UK hereby challenge Dr Afari-Djan, the EC Chairman, that even though it may require an act of Parliament to amend, and to empower you and your office to act - in concert with the various political parties - to audit, and or sanitize the current voters register, so may it be, just demand it, like you aren't shy to do when it suits your fancy. In the immediate instance, it is conceivable for you to collate the sort of evidence you showed the regional executives of the various political parties, and present same to the court - with the active support of the political parties and IPAC - and seek the necessary legal permissions to correct, remove, or prevent the perpetuation of fraud in a most important document like the Voters Register. Sir, it would really be the height of reckless folly, bordering on your senility, if you didn't utilize the ample time between now and the time you retire, immediately prior to the 2016 elections, to effect necessary changes to the electoral commission, electoral process and electoral machinery, so as to avoid unpredictable consequences post 2016, should challenges arise after the elections consequent upon incidents relating to the voters register in its current form.

NPP UK would like to assure you, Dr Afari-Djan, that we would be keenly monitoring and responding to your Commission's every acts between now and 2016, for any developments that demand praise or denunciation. We sincerely wish that going forward, we would be seeing a different you, a listening you, a responsive you, and a transparent and impartial Chairman of the Electoral commission of Ghana.

Richard Dombo Diedong
1st Vice Chairman
NPP UK Branch