EC appears determined to rig election 2024 for NPP – LINSOD alleges

Lawyers in Search of Democracy (LINSOD) is alleging that the Electoral Commission (EC) is determined to rig the 2024 General Election in favor of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to the group, their suspicions stem from Ghana’s electoral governing body’s adamant to conduct a forensic audit on the voters register.

“The NDC, as a major stakeholder in the elections does not trust the Electoral Commission to be able to correct the deliberate discrepancies and errors, which were orchestrated and perpetrated by the Commission itself, and LINSOD perfectly agree with the position taken by the NDC. Again, it is our position that the deliberate discrepancies caused in the register by the EC itself are not those contemplated by the C.I. 91 as amended by C.I. 126, and therefore, the resolution of such discrepancies are not adequately provided for by the regulations.

“More importantly, the forensic audit demanded by the NDC and the Movement for Change does not in anyway contravene any provision of the controlling CI 91 as amended by CI 126. Indeed, the outcome of the forensic audit shall be consistent with the ultimate expectations contained in the provisions of the applicable C.I’s”, the statement issued by LINSOD explained.

It continued: “Accordingly, we of LINSOD see no other reason why the Electoral Commission and the New Patriotic Party will continue to object to the demand for the forensic audit of the Provisional Voters Register. The only obvious purpose for their strong objection is because they have put the register in a form that shall enable the Electoral Commission to rig the elections for the NPP. We call on the leadership of the NDC and Movement for Change, and all their supporters, as well as all well-meaning Ghanaians including independent organizations and CSOs to resist more fiercely, this attempt by the EC to rig the elections for the NPP.

“Democracy must be reflected in the basic principles of transparency, accountability, and integrity, and same should be demanded by the citizenry all the time.”

Below is the full statement by LINSOD

September, 27^th, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION APPEARS DETERMINED TO RIG THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTIONS FOR THE NPP AND MUST BE STOPPED TO PREVENT POTENTIAL CIVIL UNREST

It is a well established fact that the Electoral Commission’s current Provisional Voters Register is replenished with unimaginable errors and discrepancies, which were discovered by NDC’s crack Elections Directorate Team, and admitted by the Electoral Commission without a flinch of argument. Interestingly enough, in the face of such overwhelming evidence of serious discrepancies in the Register, the Electoral Commission remains adamant to the demand of the NDC and lately, Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng’s Movement for Change to allow the Voters Register to be subjected to a forensic audit, and made accurate and fit-for-purpose for the general elections. This attitude of the Electoral Commission reveals a clear intention of the Commission to rig the 2024 general elections for the ruling New Patriotic Party without doubt. It is important to keep in mind that the only two entities in the country, which are strongly opposed to the call for forensic audit are the Electoral Commission itself, and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and none other.

It would be recalled that although the Electoral Commission provided a copy of the Provisional Register to the NDC barely a couple of hours before the last exhibition of the register began, the NDC was able to quickly discover some very serious discrepancies, which are not in the nature of errors usually expected after a normal compilation of a voters register, and which the Constitutional Instrument (C.I. 91) as amended by CI 126 would have never envisaged and adequately provided a cure for in its regulations.

In light of the seriousness of the discrepancies, the credibility of the Provisional Voters Register is in obvious doubt, and no well-meaning Ghanaian would believe that the Electoral Commission is capable of curing the problems with the register by its own internal means, especially by their current crop of Commissioners and management staff, who are full of previous NPP activists and operatives, and for why they have lost the trust and confidence in the eyes of the citizenry. It is worth mentioning that the Commission itself is now very untrustworthy in the eyes of all stakeholder to the extent that every activity it would undertake from now to the declaration of the final results of the general elections shall require very close monitoring and scrutiny.

In light of all the above, the NDC has demanded for a forensic audit of the register after mobilizing its supporters across the country to embark on massive demonstrations in all the 16 regional capitals of the country on Tuesday, September 17^th, 2024. Just a day ago, Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng’s Movement for Change, in a petition addressed to the Commission, also joined the call for a comprehensive auditing of the Voters Register, which is akin to what NDC has called for.

Regrettably, notwithstanding all of these loud calls on the Commission, the Commission responded to NDC’s petition by basically stating that no forensic audit shall be allowed. The Commission is supported in this stance only by the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Their only argument is that the Constitutional Instruments (CI’s) applicable for the Commission’s management of the elections stipulate the processes through which errors in the register may be corrected after exhibition of the register. To us, Lawyers in Search of Democracy (LINSOD), this argument is lame, and it reveals clearly that the Electoral Commission is in cahoots with the NPP to rig the December elections for the governing NPP.

The NDC, as a major stakeholder in the elections does not trust the Electoral Commission to be able to correct the deliberate discrepancies and errors, which were orchestrated and perpetrated by the Commission itself, and LINSOD perfectly agree with the position taken by the NDC. Again, it is our position that the deliberate discrepancies caused in the register by the EC itself are not those contemplated by the C.I. 91 as amended by C.I. 126, and therefore, the resolution of such discrepancies are not adequately provided for by the regulations. More importantly, the forensic audit demanded by the NDC and the Movement for Change does not in anyway contravene any provision of the controlling CI 91 as amended by CI 126. Indeed, the outcome of the forensic audit shall be consistent with the ultimate expectations contained in the provisions of the applicable C.I’s.

Accordingly, we of LINSOD see no other reason why the Electoral Commission and the New Patriotic Party will continue to object to the demand for the forensic audit of the Provisional Voters Register. The only obvious purpose for their strong objection is because they have put the register in a form that shall enable the Electoral Commission to rig the elections for the NPP. We call on the leadership of the NDC and Movement for Change, and all their supporters, as well as all well-meaning Ghanaians including independent organizations and CSOs to resist more fiercely, this attempt by the EC to rig the elections for the NPP.

Democracy must be reflected in the basic principles of transparency, accountability, and integrity, and same should be demanded by the citizenry all the time.

ERIC DELANYO ALIFO, ESQ.                                       

PRESIDENT – 024 901 6517                           

THEOPHILUS DZIMEGA JR., ESQ.

SECRETARY – 054 433 8321

For Interviews, the media may also contact:

1. Sadat Haruna Alhassan, Esq. – 024 975 9698
2. John Awuni Ndebugri, Esq. – 024 483 1350

Source: Today.com.gh