The Electoral Commission (EC) has firmly denied accusations of political partiality concerning its decision to conduct a rerun of the parliamentary election in 19 polling stations within the Ablekuma North constituency.
These clarifications come amid growing claims that the EC is allegedly favoring the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the rerun scheduled for Thursday, July 11.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has strongly opposed the Commission’s directive, labeling the rerun as “unjust” and has formally withdrawn from participating in the election.
Despite the party’s official withdrawal, the NPP’s parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, has opted to defy the party’s stance and contest in the rerun. Efforts by the NPP to halt the electoral process through both legal challenges and administrative appeals have been unsuccessful.
Speaking to the press in Accra on Thursday, July 10, Dr. Bossman Asare, the EC’s Deputy Chairman responsible for Corporate Services, underscored the Commission’s autonomy and integrity.
“We state categorically that Ghana’s electoral management body is an independent body and will not be dictated to by any institution or any person. Our track record speaks for itself,” Dr. Bossman emphasized.
He confirmed that the National security task force and the Ghana Police Service have assured the Commission of their preparedness to provide security before and after the election.
Dr. Asare stated “The Ghana police service and the national election security task force have assured the commission of their readiness to ensure security before during and after rerun.
“We count on them to guarantee that lives and property are protected and that voters and our staff will work in a safe and conducive environment tomorrow,” he added.
Dr. Asare also acknowledged that there is fear among staff and voters due to the processes involved in collating results from about 12 constituencies following the December 7th election.
He remarked, “The aftermath of the December 7th election, particularly the processes to complete the collation in 12 constituencies, has created fear not only among our staff but also among voters in general.”
Source : www.kumasimail.com /Kwadwo Owusu
