Risarp's Folder: Trusting The E.C; Why The Opposition Parties (Especially The NPP) Will Be Making A Big Mistake

I bring you warm greetings inside my humble and blessed abode. Indeed, its been a while since my good readers and followers read from me. All the same, I have been busy with other equally important assignments.

However, my long silence did not stop me from reading and listening whiles following events going on in my motherland especially our political arena.

In fact, this month of April, 2016 has been hot in the political scope of Ghana. From the "Baamu ya da" demonstration in Kumasi, the arrival of Jake's mortal remains, WASSCE examinations leakage, J.B Danquah's funeral against President Mahama's "accounting to the peoples" tour amongst other issues were all keenly followed.

In all the issues, you may permit me to offer a piece of advice to the New Patriotic Party and other opposition parties seeking to wrestle power from the incumbent John Mahama led National Democratic Congress.

I am not a political scientist but my utmost desire and zeal to follow contemporary Ghanaian politics will help shape my views and opinions in this article to every well meaning Ghanaian except those reading from a political spectacles.

After the election petition of 2012, many especially those belonging to the NPP has called for a change in the way and manner we handle elections on this country. One of their major concern was a what they called "a new credible voters' register". As per my little understanding of free and fair elections, we ought too vote with a credible register. Yes, it has to be credible! But the biggest question is that; Is the current voter register credible? A big NO is the answer. As I continue with my piece, your doubts as to why its a no will be answered.

The E.C which is the only mandatory institution in Ghana empowered by the constitution of the land to conduct elections and any other electoral processes is also on the contrary to the NPP's concerns. They say the current register is though faulty but still a credible one to be used in 2016 general elections. The EC's own five member committee attested to the fact that, the current book is faulty. After the committee brought its report and haven accepted that the current register is faulty, I was thinking that it was fair enough to end the cry for a new register but this same committee recommended otherwise. What a country?

Maybe, the survival of the fittest is the key!
All this while, I have learnt one thing about the Electoral Commission of Ghana. The EC is not consistent with issues pertaining to election 2016 and this attitude is crucial for Ghana's democracy. My observations has thought me that, the Charlotte Osei led Electoral Commission is playing with the issues of national concern. Earlier in her office as the commissioner of E.C, Madam Charlotte Osei told the whole world that, all smaller parties which do not meet the requirements of her outfit shall be flashed out but up till now, people are still registering similar political parties. The alleged over 200 thousand ghost names in Ashanti region alone comment by Madam Osei which she later retracted should tell any Ghanaian that, our electoral referee has not been consistent. This same EC who calls itself as an independent body is reported to have written letters to all political parties to bring their proposals towards the cleansing of the faulty but credible register. So I ask, if the register is credible as the EC holds, why should we then waste resources in cleaning it?

My advice to the NPP and other opposition parties is that, they should honestly forget about the EC and its request for proposal towards cleaning the register and channel their attention and energies to the election day. The NPP especially should forget about the EC and lay down strategic plans to ensure the get a lot of their people to register and open an opportunity for them to come out and vote. Like Dr Afari Gyan said during the supreme court case, "elections are won at the polling center". This is a serious statement the NPP must reflect on it and map out a boot- for - boot mechanism to face the EC and the incumbent NDC.

It is better to start preparations earlier in training all electoral stakeholders within the NPP and other opposition parties. I am a living witness to some happenings during the 2012 elections in Ashanti region especially. My brother who is a senior journalist with a radio station in Kumasi told me, "Rich, I have so far monitored about 30 polling stations in this constituency (name with-held) and I have not met either the MP or any constituency executive there....are your people really serious of winning this election"?. In a similar relations, he reported that, the polling agents for the NPP in a certain voting center had left the election center to buy food whiles the elections were still in progress. But one cannot blame these agents much because they needed to eat to do a proper work over there but their only mistake was that, one of them could have gone to buy the food on behalf of the other. At an instant, I also thought, some forces might have been at work to facilitate the departure of the duo from the polling agents. There are confirmed reports where the NDC tried to bribe some NPP agents to leave the work for them to do their election manipulations. So these guys could have fallen victims to such devilish plans?

The NPP needs to train, empower and motivate their polling station agents very well to enable them do a diligent work on the election day.

...I was at Ahenema Kokoben SDA polling station when NDC served their agents with Breakfast, Lunch and Supper in the evening in 2012 but the NPP agents had nothing. Whiles the NDC were paying Ghc 250 for their agents, the NPP paid Ghc 20 in some constituencies. Even with this, many agents could not have their monies. In short, the NPP and other opposition parties must stop taking consolidations from the fact that, they are opposition parties and does not have monies and resources to motivate their grassroots and polling agents. It is not by force to take part in elections as a political party; if they are not ready, they should forget and lets continue to leave Ghana for the NDC. The so-called big men in the NPP are somehow stingy. They have left the party to suffer but they are the same persons who will rise from nowhere to fight over positions and appointments when the victory comes.

Again, some parliamentary candidates ought to be serious for once. Especially in Ashanti region, the NPP parliamentarians are too lackadaisical in ensuring party victory. They are too arrogant and selfish though a few are good.They only think about their seats and if they win, they see that as enough for themselves. They do not think the party first. The party must put up measures that will compel every parliamentary candidate to work hard in realizing victory 2016. To my best of knowledge, the party must have an oversight body which will monitor the day-to-day activities of every parliamentary candidate especially in the strongholds of the party. The party (NPP) can also compel every parliamentarian to as a matter of fact, officially commission every developmental projects the respective MPs have put up in their various constituencies to enable the party and its constituents know what the need is and why they should vote for the party. After all, the so-called "accounting to the people" tour has a similar aim.

I have also said this long ago and I will say it again. An MP or PC is the face of the political party it is representing in their constituencies, so the parties must have an interest in everything they do with the little monies that comes to them. For instance, if I am a floating voter who has come to appreciate the developmental projects of my MP even with the little funds s/he gets, it would not be very difficult for me to trust his/her presidential candidate when it is time to vote. The NPP must stop hiding at the back of being an opposition party and start working. They must compel their MPs to work hard before, during and after elections.

I know an MP who has done much for his constituents but almost less than a quarter of his people know what he has done. The parties must be serious on such people. They must force them to bring their works to lights so that people can appreciate.

When all these are done, wether a new register or not, the opposition parties can face the incumbent in the battle for power. Like I said, the EC is not ready for any change of register. I doubt if they will even follow the recommendations by the supreme court but whether good or bad, it is the only body mandated to handle our elections.

I as a Ghanaian have lost confidence in our electoral body, not only during Madam Charlotte Osei's regime but since 2004. I have reserved my reasons to myself.

Like I said, Charlotte Osei and her team of commissioners have been very inconsistent and economical with the truth when it comes to certain issues...no one can convince me that our electoral body isn't in bed with the ruling government. After all, it has been the trend since the inception of the forth republic. I have heard the EC saying on countless times that, it has abolished what we call "the strong room" counting of results but I am again advising the opposition parties led by the NPP to discredit this deceit because until it has happen, they cannot trust our EC.The EC has been inconsistent!

They should train their people very well that, whatever result counted at the various polling centers are not by any means altered because stealing is part and a sibling to electoral victory.

From polling station to constituency offices to regional offices and finally to the EC headquarters, every vote must count and counted very well.

This may sound funny but the NPP must also make provisions for stand-by means of lighting system. It can be rechargeable lamps. I know what I have seen and heard before. They cannot trust the NDC-controlled security and lightening systems.

Every coalition center must have rechargeable lamps. It would have been wise for the EC to do so since she knows our energy problem as a nation but again, I cannot trust the EC.

The shout for reforms and changes are nothing...wether a new register or not, the opposition parties must work harder than they are doing. Trusting and laughing an electoral remote-controlled body can be dangerous.

I rest my case. "A word to a wise is enough".

Thank you.
The author:
Richard Sarpong
(An agriculturalist and Entrepreneur)
Email: [email protected]