Afari Gyan: EC Won’t Allow Intimidation

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May 14, 2008

The Electoral Commission (EC) has stated that it will not allow any political party to pressurise or intimidate it to implement suggestions in favour of that particular party.

The Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan who stated this, said the EC was not bound to implement suggestions of any political party. “We are not supposed to take instructions from any person or group,” he stated.

At an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting in Cape Coast, the Chairman of the EC said though the Commission treasures interactions with the political parties and suggestions from such meetings, it does not take instructions from the political parties or any group of persons.

Dr Afari-Gyan said the EC had to look critically at all suggestions and consider whether such suggestions were cost effective and lawful before implementing them.

The meeting which was sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Stifung and KAB Governance Consult, was attended by representatives of political parties such as the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention People’s Party (CPP) and People’s National Convention (PNC), and members of the press.

He advised the parties to recognise the independence of the commission and allow it to do its work. He said if any person or group did not agree with any decision of the EC, it could go to court.

The EC chairman said it could not assure Ghanaians of the integrity of all its polling station officers as they would be recruited from amongst the public.

He, therefore, urged political parties not to depend on “macho men” as agents but to recruit knowledgeable people as agents at the various polling stations to avoid controversy at the stations.

On presidential aspirants, Dr Afari-Gyan explained that presidential aspirants of the political parties were not presidential candidates yet until they were duly certified by the Electoral Commission, explaining that any of the aspirants could be disqualified before the general elections.

The Director of Human Resource and General Services of the EC, Mr Samuel Yorke-Aidoo, said the registration of new voters had been postponed indefinitely until the EC settled all controversy over the voters register.

He cautioned against multiple registration, impersonation and unlawful possession of electoral materials.

Mr Samuel Tettey, Central Regional Director of EC, said a total of 33,431 people applied to have their voters identity cards replaced and that the exercise was generally successful.

Ms Eunice Roberts, a member of the commission who chaired the function, advised political parties to conduct their campaigns based on facts and not on inflammatory pronouncements that would incite people to do the wrong things.

The meeting called on the EC to ensure that the police do not intimidate people at the various voting centres.
Story by Shirley Asiedu-Addo

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