NPP Claims Over E-results Transmission Preposterous - Gyampo

A senior lecturer at the Political Science Department, University of Ghana, Dr. Ransford Gyampo, has dismissed the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) claim that the Electoral Commission sidelined political parties in deciding to engage the services of some IT firms to electronically transmit results in the December polls.

According to Dr. Gyampo, the decision to electronically transmit electoral results to a Central Collation Center was unanimously agreed to by all political parties including the NPP.

The NPP on Monday raised red flags over the exercise, accusing the electoral body of side stepping the political parties. Also, it added the move could compromise the credibility of the elections if care was not taken.

“The amendment of the CI 75 which is currently laid in Parliament, there is no provision or regulation on electronic transmission, so where is the law backing it.

“It is muddy and it is about time that our elections are transparent and open and inclusive, if other people know we don’t know...I rather asked this question at IPAC and I was told that the details would be sent to me, but it’s been about six months now,” the NPP’s Campaign Manager, Peter Mac Manu told Starr News Monday in an interview.

Dr. Gyampo, who is the member of the EC’s Electoral Reform Committee, however, disagreed with the NPP.

Speaking Tuesday on Citi FM’s midday news, he said the NPP was privy to the decision and that their claim was untenable.

“Well I don’t know where this is coming from as far as I am concerned the major parties were given representations at the Electoral Reform Committee.

“…I think the NPP for now should blame the challenge on their own internal wrangling because they were not able to provide consistent representation on the Electoral Reform Committee. First it started with Peter Mac Manu and then later they replaced Mac Manu with Kwabena Agyepong and then subsequently anytime we called for meetings, we have either O.B Amoah being present or Peter Mac Manu being present.

“I am saying that, well, if they were consulting and briefing themselves they would have known that …this was a recommendation that was a unanimous recommendation,” Dr. Gyampo noted.

The NPP claims are “unfair to Ghanaians”, he added explaining that electronically transmitting the electoral results will end the mystery surrounding the so called ‘Strong Room.’

“It was part of efforts or recommendations aimed at demystifying what we called ‘The Strong Room’. The idea of Strong Room and the conduct of transparent elections cannot be bed fellows.

“It was felt that you cannot talk about transparent elections and also have a place designated as a Strong Room because people have misconceptions regarding what takes place in the Strong Room,” he asserted, adding that: “They feel that it is an area that results are cooked.”