Emmanuel Akwetey
THE CIVIC Forum Initiative (CFI) and the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) have expressed dissatisfaction with the Electoral Commission’s (EC’s) decision to halt the publication of all collated results of the Wednesday elections over allegation of over-voting.
According to the two civil society organizations which jointly addressed the media yesterday in Accra, “This decision is creating undue tension among the populace.”
Maj. General Nii Carl Coleman (rtd), Chairman of CFI, delivering a joint statement by IDEG and CFI, said, “The delayed publication of the results has created a vacuum which is being filled by announcements of collated results by political parties and media houses.
“This is creating massive confusion and intensifying suspicions and public anxiety.”
There is widespread agitations across the country, especially by supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) which leader, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is believed to have won the presidential election.
No Over-voting
The decision to halt the publication of the collated results had reportedly stemmed from allegation made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that there had been instances of over-voting in the stronghold of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) – the Ashanti Region.
IDEG-CFI deployed a total of 1,200 observers across the country to monitor the voting process to ensure that it’s free, fair and credible.
Asked whether feedbacks from IDEG-CFI’s 1,200 observers pointed to the direction of the claim by the EC and the NDC, Maj. Coleman said emphatically that “Reports sent to us never indicated any over-voting in any of the constituencies.”
According to Maj. Coleman, “Any further delay by the EC to speed up the publication of collated results will aggravate the confusion and anxiety in the public.
“This could potentially undermine the integrity of the EC’s own results it has so far certified.”
Provisional results declared as at press time yesterday put the NPP in a commanding lead annexing about 172 out of the 275 parliamentary seats nationwide.
President Mahama’s votes appeared to have reduced significant in 2016 as compared to 2012, with reports saying he had lost over 300,000 votes nationwide.
The NPP leader, Nana Addo, on the other hand, is reportedly making comfortable gains and tipped to win the polls.
BY Melvin Tarlue