The Campaign Manager for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Peter Mac Manu has predicted that President Akufo-Addo would contest and win the 2020 elections with or without a new voter’s register.
Speaking to the media in an interview, Peter Mac Manu said s the NPP has a solid chance of retaining power in the December 7 2020 elections.
“During the era of Charlotte Osei, a conference was called at Alisa Hotel, the conference was chaired by the late VRAC Crabbe, they came out with their recommendations but the EC did not take it on board at the time, but I remember the media kept asking me what I would do if the new register is not done, I said whether a new register or not, we will take part and win the elections.”
Mr. Peter Mac Manu who was also the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party from December 2005 to February 2010 added that “We are going to go into the elections, no two ways about that.”
The Electoral Commission has put on hold most of its activities scheduled to be done ahead of the 2020 polls following the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Commission has subsequently assured that it will observe the necessary protocols when it begins the compilation of a new voter’s register.
Peter Mac Manu has said Ghana has no option than to go the polls in December 2020 regardless of COVID-19.
The conduct of the December 7, 2020 polls remains uncertain given the fact that many of the electoral activities in the build-up to the polls have been put on hold as a result of the pandemic.
While many continue to cast doubts on the ability of the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voter’s register ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections, the national campaign chairman of the NPP believes Ghana has no other way to avoid the poll since the Constitution does not make room for that.
“The situation we find ourselves now, the pandemic has shot the world in a shock economically and health-wise but nevertheless, in a country like Ghana where our Constitution does not give room for any change of date for elections, we are bound to go into the elections on 7th December because the constitution doesn’t have room for any manoeuvers,” he said.
“In other countries, their Constitution made room but ours doesn’t. Equally, last four weeks, South Korea went into the elections and they had the highest voter turnout in their election history. As we speak, Burundi is going to have their elections in May and Malawi is going to have theirs on July 2nd and Tanzania is going to have theirs in October. So what prevents Ghana from having ours?” he quizzed.
Nana Addo won’t use COVID-19 as excuse to extend first term mandate – Infomation Minister
The Akufo-Addo Government is not contemplating an extension of its first term constitutional mandate despite the seeming distortion of the political calendar by COVID-19, Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has said.
The Minister, at a press briefing on Tuesday, pointed out that the government does not see “any justifiable reason to seek to extend its first term constitutional mandate using the virus as an excuse, without a safe, free and fair election.”
New register: We’ll observe safety protocols – EC
The Commission also clarified that it will observe the necessary protocols if it becomes necessary to compile a new register.
“All stakeholders are hereby reminded that plans are far advanced for the compilation of new voters register with a new voter management system for the upcoming 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections. The Commission is however sensitive to the current state of affairs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will abide by the necessary precautions and safety protocols in the execution of its mandate when it deems it appropriate to begin the compilation of the register.”
