The National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Freddie Blay has called on the people of Ghana to ignore the provocation and empty threats of the NDC towards the Electoral Commission (EC).
According to him the attacks on the EC is absolutely needless and an attempt to subject the EC to the direction or control of any person or authority is unconstitutional and totally misguided.
In a statement he issued, Mr. Freddie Blay averred that the 1992 Constitution clearly states out the functions of the Electoral Commission which includes compiling the register of voters and revise same at such periods as may be determined by law; and to undertake programs for the expansion of the registration of voters.
He noted that discussions on the Electoral Commission’s planned compilation of a new voter register began since the last quarter of 2019 and that the NPP has clearly stated its position on the subject, “hence our reluctance to dignify and engage in debate on the subject anymore.”
He pointed out that the opposition NDC has embarked on a dispatch race with the unproductive debate, passing the baton from its Presidential Candidate, to its National Chairman, General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary, Director of Elections and numerous communicators on FM stations and social media.
According to him, the Ghanaians cannot continue wasting precious time on staged debates by the opposition about whether or not the Electoral Commission should go ahead with the compilation of an advanced biometric voters’ register since the EC in is its wisdom has made its decision.
He stated that: “The opposition’s attempt to keep shifting the opposing goalpost from the cost of procuring a new voter register to the cost of lives for going through a progressive electoral process, clearly demonstrates their inconsistencies and hypocrisy,” adding that “Those vehemently opposing to the compilation of a new voters’ register, weaving their arguments around the potential exponential COVID deaths and infections are in pursuit of their parochial and self-serving interests.”
He also maintained that the December 7, 2020 elections would not be any different, because Ghanaians would be expected to queue in lines to cast their votes and also witness the votes counted and recorded as prescribed in the 1992 constitution.
“Therefore, the CSO Alliance and Inter-Party Resistance against the New Voters’ Register should spare Ghanaians the provocative and empty threats of chaos, confusion, bloodshed and death in the name of protecting the constitution. In any case, all Ghanaians must strive to protect the constitution of Ghana, though I doubt the credentials of the NDC in doing so, especially when they tout themselves as owning the monopoly of violence.”
The NPP, he said remains confident that irrespective of the protocols and restrictions brought about by COVID 19, the nation would always rise to the occasion of protecting and exercising constitutional rights, including going through a new electoral process.
He said the challenges of COVID 19 offers a great opportunity for us as people to work together on our attitudes towards collectively building a disciplined and prosperous nation.
“If we all recognize as a people that in one way or the other there are potentials for an exponential spread of COVID 19 when we undertake our constitutional mandate of voting or registering for a voter identification, then we must begin to prepare now for the containment of a potential explosion in 6 months. The earlier we as Ghanaians think about developing a registration and voting system that should be better perfected by December 7 through the EC’s advanced biometric voters’ registration process, the better for our constitutional democratic development,” he said.
According to him, political parties and civil society groups should begin having discussions on what a safe voter registration center should look like with standardized hygienic conditions, self-protective gears and queuing lines arrangements that conform to the social distancing protocols.
“The new biometric voters’ registration process offers a unique opportunity to the EC to practically and quickly begin to mainstream the COVID 19 protocols into how they will conduct Ghana’s electoral processes up until the December 2020 general election,” he stated and indicated that the Nana Addo NPP-led Government remains committed to protecting lives, providing the funding and necessary support including maintaining law and order that should enable the EC prepare towards conducting a fair and transparent elections come December 2020.
