THE ASANTEHENE, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has chided the Electoral Commission (EC) for being responsible for the mushrooming of political parties in the country.
He complained bitterly that the EC had relaxed the electoral laws and had made it possible for all manner of people to form political parties.
Otumfuo indicated that every political party in the country is required by law to have offices in two/thirds of the 275 constituencies.
According to him, the political parties are also supposed to submit their annual audited financial reports to the EC in order to determine their sources of funding and other activities.
He observed that the EC had failed woefully to stick to these crucial requirements and so paved way for the proliferation of political parties.
The Asantehene was speaking during the Second General Meeting of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Wednesday.
Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei and other top commissioners were invited by the House, presided over by Otumfuo, to brief them about their preparations for the December polls.
The Asante king noted that if the EC remained firm and strictly applied the electoral laws the mushrooming of political parties would cease.
“I blame the EC for being responsible for the numerous political parties that have been formed in the country by individuals, with its attendant problems for the EC and the state.
“If the EC was strong and applied the laws regarding the registration of political parties, I don’t think there would have been several political parties in the country as we are witnessing now,” he stressed.
Otumfuo then charged the EC to make sure that all the regulations connected with the registration of political parties are strictly adhered to after the December 7 polls.
He urged the EC to shun bias and act professionally in the running of the December 7 elections so that the political parties would not have any cause to complain after the results had been announced.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II reminded the EC that the sustainability of the peace the country is enjoying would largely depend on the professional manner in which the EC would conduct the impending elections.
According to him, there will be a constitutional crisis in the country if the EC fails to organise the elections on December 7 and so the EC should take note.
There was a questions and answers segment of the meeting for the EC to clarify some issues that had been bugging some of the chiefs present.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi