NDC Zongo Caucus fights EC… Over training in electoral process

The Zongo Caucus of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kumasi has expressed grave concern over what they described as inconsistencies and misinformation being offered by some officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) in the Tafo constituency, in the ongoing training of party polling agents.

According to the group, the anomaly, if not quickly rectified by the Regional Directorate of the Commission, could provide the platform for some unscrupulous elements in the constituency, to execute their fraudulent agenda of engaging in electoral malpractices.

The NDC caucus, represented by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nurudeen Bawa, and the party's Constituency Secretary for Tafo, Mohammed A. Baba, alleged that some officers of the EC had been giving wrong information to the party polling agents in the Tafo constituency, which is inconsistent with that of the commission's Legislative Instrument, and that of the training offered to them by their party.

They opined that by the EC's own rules and regulations, anyone whose name does not appear in the final register, but is found in the poll book or the checklist, cannot take part in the voting process, but some officials of the commission, who are offering training for party polling agents, had been teaching something contrary to that.

According to Mr. Nurudeen, they received information from their members, who took part in the training last Sunday at the St.Louis Training College, that the officials of the commission, who offered the training, had informed them that anyone whose name does not appear in the final register, but has his or her name in the checklist, qualifies to vote provided the person comes with his or her voters' ID card.

This according to them, was contradictory to what they were told by the National Executives of the NDC, when it organised nationwide training for its polling agents, so they quickly notified the Regional Chairman of the party, Mr. Ohene Agyekum, who also directed them to do further checks to ascertain the veracity of the claim, before an official complaint could be lodged. He continued that after receiving the directive from the Regional Chairman, they contacted their colleagues at the Asawase constituency to verify whether similar information to that effect had been given to them, but received feedback to the contrary, compelling them to suspect that something must have gone wrong.

Mr. Nurudeen said having done the necessary background checks, and confirmed the anomaly, they lodged an official complaint with the EC, through its Regional Director, Mr. Asomani, who promised to resolve the matter, after assuring them of the EC's commitment towards free and fair elections, stating that the Regional Director had failed to take the necessary action to set the records straight.

He said the situation was a recipe for electoral fraud, because they had intelligence reports that some people were issuing fake ID cards, an allegation which, according to him, had been corroborated by the commission.

Mr. Nurudeen suggested that unless fresh training was organised to set the records straight, it could pave way for people to manipulate the electoral process in the Tafo constituency.

Meanwhile, officials of the commission have denied any wrongdoing, attributing the fuss to lack of understanding and ignorance on the part of some of the polling agents.

Mr. Oscar, officer-in-charge of training, told the paper in an interview, that the NDC were making the unnecessary noise, because most of them lacked the requisite education to comprehend the electoral process, saying the commission had only made special provision for people who actually wrote their names and took their ID cards, but whose names could not be found in the final register, as a result of complications during the scanning process.

According to him, the EC had made that provision, knowing very well that there could be a typographical mistake in the shading of names and other particulars, and said when this happens that name may not appear in the register. Besides that, Mr. Oscar said the workshop, held at the St. Louis Training College, was not meant for the Tafo constituency, saying other representatives from Suame and Manhyia were also given similar training, but did not have any problem with the training offered them.