Would NDC Ever Be Happy With EC's Work?

Whether be it accusation of disenfranchising or voter suppression or voter registration mishaps or inadequate voter exhibition exercise timetable, which is currently ongoing the opposition National Democratic Congress NDC has not shied away from its argument that the Electoral Commission (EC) and its chair aren't there for the Umbrella's interest.

In fact, the party holds the view that the EC Chairperson Jean Mensa is puppet and she's there to do the bidding for the Akufo-Addo ruling- NPP.

This view, sound or unsound hasn't been proven yet.

However, as you are aware a good argument must have true premise. It must be valid and strong and must have premises that are more plausible than one of its premises. Be reminded a valid argument can have false premises and it can have false conclusion.

You cannot merely accuse one of being bias or favouring an opponent without evidential proof.

Would NDC ever be happy with EC's Work?
Maybe not this time. I think not until the tables have turned and they've one of their own put in charge.

But as long as auntie Jean is in the driver's seat, they'll have an ass to grind. And this nick picking will go on unabated. Bottom line, the two don't see eye to eye.

It seems they are destined to happen. But I don't know if this act was deliberate or certain circumstances forced EC to fix the voter exhibition timetable this way.

And you think NDC would sit aloof. The party considers the time frame of the exhibition as too short or too little. And I couldn't agree more.

The inevitable question is: If EC scheduled 21 days for the 2016 election and 11 days for 2012 (both of which obviously had fewer registered voters compared to over 15 million for 2020) why then did the body decide to set aside 8 days for the current exercise?

Unless, EC explains that its decision was influenced by the deadly pandemic'COVID-19, which is ravaging the world. But, if that was even the case, wouldn't it have been better for EC to engage the parties involved in a way to allay any fears and this element of suspicion which has beclouded the entire process?

Indeed this is not the first and will certainly not be the last as the nation gears up to vote in yet another epic general elections on December 7, 2020.

Prez Mahama blasts Jean
On Monday 22 September the party's flagbearer Former President John Mahama blasted Jean, describing her as incompetent leader.

Mr. Mahama was reacting to developments bordering on the voter exhibition. The exercise which commenced on Friday 18 September 18 is expected to come off on Friday, 25 September 2020.

As aforesaid NDC is unhappy about the turn of events. Thus it has raised a lot of concerns with the way the exercise is being conducted.

Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Director of Elections for the NDC has criticised the electoral body for conducting the voter exhibition exercise within just eight days.

At a press conference he said this:
“The NDC wishes to emphatically state that since the inception of the Fourth Republic, our otherwise respected EC presents to the people of Ghana such a malformed and anaemic register going into a major election," said Mr. Afriyie Ankrah.

“While we present to you impeccable evidence of anomalies on the provisional register, we will encourage Ghanaians to visit the exhibition centers to see for yourself the mess that the Jean Mensa and Bossman Asare-led EC has created."

He emphasises that the exhibition of the voters' register is a critical aspect of our electoral process.

And it is through the exhibition exercise that citizens who register get the opportunity to confirm that their names and other details are duly captured on the voters roll such that they will not be disenfranchised on voting days. In view of the importance of the exercise, the exhibition duration in the past had been between 11 to 21 days.

“In 2012 the exhibition was eleven days. Even in 2016 where only a limited registration exercise was conducted in preparation for that election the duration for the exhibition exercise was 21 good days

Unfortunately, with the 2020 registration exercise that was characterized by various anomalies, violence and chaos and also involving close to 17 million prospective voters the EC rather strangely announced an 8-day exhibition exercise," Elvis concluded.

By Gordon Offin-Amaniampong