Akufo Addo’s Promise of Free, Fair And Transparent Elections Doubtful- “Care” Ghana
President Nana Akufo Addo in a virtual conference at the Annual Conference of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) on Monday 14th September 2020 in Accra stated that, events from 1993 to today indicate our commitment to a free, fair and transparent elections.
However, the conduct of the President since he assumed the reigns of government in 2017 depicts the President’s lack of commitment in maintaining the status quo and ensuring free, fair, transparent and violent free election in December 2020.
In other words, what President does is at variance with what he says.
So far many developments in Ghana relative to elections and the Electoral Commission point to but one concussion- a systematic plan to compromise free, fair and credible elections.
For instance, the removal of Mrs. Charlotte Osei, former Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) and replacing her with persons considered to be bias in favor of the President and his party the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as reported in the Executive Summary of the Ghana 2019 Human Right Report by the United States Bureau of Democracy raises serious concerns.
Many including the 2019 Human Right Report on Ghana believe that, the replacement of Mrs. Charlotte Osei with Mrs. Jean Mensa as EC Chairperson was to manipulate the entire electoral system and processes in favor of the President and his Party, the NPP.
Secondly, the handling of the Ayawaso West Wagon by-elections violence exposes the President’s disinterest in a violent free electoral process.
Not only did the President fail to implement the Emile Short Commissions’ report, but went ahead to absolve all government appointees indicted in that report.
One would have commended the President for promulgating the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999) however, evidence from the Emile Short Commission clearly showed that many of these Vigilantes belonging to the ruling NPP were already integrated into the regular State security Agencies and a repeat of Ayawaso West Wagon may be inevitable.
Hon Bryan Acheampong, who was the chief architect of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by election violence.
We are reliably informed of the secrete recruitment and training of more of these NPP vigilantes for elections day deployment.
We are of the view that, the recruitment of these NPP vigilantes into our security services is an attempt to institutionalize violence in the upcoming elections. It is also alleged that, the National Communication Authority (NCA) is planning to shut down the Communications Networks on elections day, however, neither government nor NCA have come confirmed or deny this allegations.
Furthermore, the State sponsored invasion of Volta Region in defiance of prostrations from the Chiefs and people of that Region and the naked intimidation of residents by State security during the just ended voter registration exercise betrays the Present’s lack of commitment to a free fair and transparent electoral system.
In deed the whole world saw how attempts were made by State security to physical prevent residents in many parts of the Volta Region from participation in the registration process.
Whilst this act attracted wide condemnation and outrage, the President as the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces variously defended the act.
The fallout in the Volta Region during the voter registration exercise lend credence to the claim by the Human Right Report that, the ousting of Mrs. Charlotte Osei was to pave way for the suppression of votes from the opposition strong holds among others.
Actions they say speak louder than words and so far the President by all intent and purposes and by all his actions and his endorsement of the actions of certain relevant States agencies regarding the electoral process during his reign are inconsistent with the assurance he purport to give during his address to the GBA.
President Akufo Addo’s actions so far have imposed on Ghanaians the belief that, he may want to maintain power at all cost hence our call on all concerned individuals, institutions and especially the International Community to focus their lenses on Ghana’s elections.
Signed
David Kumi Addo
Executive Secretary “CARE” GHANA
0273009907/0559026124
