Associate Professor at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo, has cautioned the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) from allowing political parties in power to serve as their mouthpiece, stressing that when ruling parties seem to speak for the commission, it naturally engenders mistrust from opposition parties.
Prof Gyampo has therefore advised the EC to protect itself from the support from ruling parties by developing a relational competence that will help them better relate with all political parties. He contends that the EC is well-equipped to defend itself and must openly reject partisan support from ruling parties.
“The Commission must develop a relational competence in its dealing with political parties and must ring-fence itself from the partisan support of political parties in power. They are have what it takes to defend themselves and hence must openly reject the partisan support of every ruling party. Indeed, the party in government must also lift the bar of partisan politics a little, by allowing the EC to fight its own battles and critiquing the Commission when necessary. For, it cannot be true that the EC is infallible to warrant praise-singing and support at all times. It must be added that once the ruling party continue to serve as the mouthpiece of the Commission, it will naturally be difficult for the opposition to trust the Commission,” he advised.
His piece of advice comes in the wake of widespread reports of missing names in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
Thousands of people across the country have been unable to find their names in the voters’ register. The situation has compelled the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the main opposition party to suspend his campaign and speak to the issue. The EC has, however, assured that the challenges will be fixed.
In the opinion of Prof. Gyampo, the election management body seems to be exhibiting a culture of incompetence with the repetitive nature of the challenges.
“Is it that the Commission has an incompetent tradition that shapes the conduct and performance of its staff and appointees? I ask this because some of the challenges of the Commission, including that of voter register exhibition, have been there from the days of Justice Josiah Ofori Boateng, the first chair of Ghana’s Election Management Body,” he noted.
Meanwhile the EC has extended the voter exhibition exercise by two days to allow more time for voters to verify their details.
