The opposition National Democratic Congress says recent public disagreements between the ruling government and the Electoral Commission calls for a careful monitoring of the Commission’s activities. The party is therefore calling on the international community to carefully follow developments in the country and comment on them appropriately in order to curb any acts that run contrary to the spirit and letter of the country’s constitution.
The Head of a Parliamentary delegation of the NDC to Nigeria told journalists at a news conference in Accra that the recent issues should be worrying enough to all who love and uphold the tenets of democracy and the rule of law in the country.
The news conference was called to brief the media on the delegation’s mission to Nigeria and the outcome of the visit. The delegation met with the ruling and opposition parties, as well as Human rights organizations and the media.
They briefed them on what the party calls the numerous cases of human rights abuses especially against members of the NDC, the conviction of three government officials on the charge that they caused financial loss to the state in the quality grain affair among others.
Alhaji Mumuni said the fact that the Electoral Commission has gained a reputation for organizing elections is not a guarantee that the country would never have problems with elections. He said the NPP government has clearly demonstrated enough signals to indicate that it is out to undermine the EC in order to have it easy at next presidential and parliamentary elections.
The Electoral Commission recently rejected the setting up of a central procurement committee to purchase electoral materials for the voter’s registration exercise and the 2004 election. The Commission argued that it had had its own Procurement Committee since the 1960’s and therefore considers the establishment of another Procurement Committee as an interference in its work, contrary to the provisions of the Constitution.
It’s Commissioner, Dr Afari-Djan has also has problems with the NPP government.
In view of all these, Alhaji Mumuni said the NDC is of the belief that a heavy presence of international election observers’ at next year’s polls would be one surest ways of curbing any attempts that would dent the electoral process.
Source: GhanaWeb
