Jean Mensa
One of the key drivers of democratic governance is the conduct of free and fair elections. And for fair elections to materialise, the election management body which in our case is the Electoral Commission (EC) must compile a credible and reliable electoral roll or register.
As the rules may permit, all potential voters must have equal opportunity to register to vote and in some cases be voted for. For some months now, the EC led by its firm and fair Chairperson, Ms Jean Mensa has tried to engage Parliament to endorse a constitutional instrument to pave the way for the registration exercise to capture those who have attained the age of 18 and those who for various reasons could not avail themselves of the opportunity to be on the electoral roll in 2020.
The bone of contention, especially from the Minority, has been its insistence on the use of the guarantor system which the EC says is not robust enough to eliminate fraud from the system.
The NDC will always shift the goal post when it has its back to the wall and push for systems that favour its electoral fortunes, forgetting that in 2012 and under NDC’s majority in Parliament it okayed the use of Ghana Card for the registration of voters. Fast forward 2023, the NDC claims the sole use of the Ghana Card will disenfranchise eligible voters. Nobody understands the NDC which does not trust the EC in its endeavours, always claiming the Commission is in bed with the NPP to rig the 2024 polls.
The NDC which shouts on rooftops that it is on a rescue mission to save Ghanaians from the hardships imposed on the country by the Akufo-Addo government fears electoral dynamics like vermin.
When it comes to elections, the NDC hides behind the blame game to avoid exposing its incompetence to its supporters so that when they lose Election 2024 they can mobilise the members onto the streets.
We think the NDC must be part of the reforms to build a strong electoral system in the country instead of the present practice to kick against any innovations.
Just as the NDC is bereft of ideas on the political scene, it appears the best it can offer is propaganda or misinformation. Whether the NDC likes it or not, it has to deal with the EC and for that matter Ms Jean Mensa if it wants to be part of the political landscape. The continuous whining will not help them without offering practical alternatives with other stakeholders to deepen our electoral process and democracy.
The NDC must be schooled to understand that as a player it cannot dictate to the EC how it must conduct its business.
In spite of the razzmatazz, the EC has arrived at the decision to register new voters from September 12 to October 2, 2023 in preparation for December 19, 2023 District Level Elections and put these prospective voters in readiness for the 2024 general election.