The Electoral Commission (EC) has cautioned the critics of the Commission to desist from what it describes as unjustifiable attacks on its integrity.
It noted that the Commission remained focused and expected the cooperation of its critics instead of unjustifiable attacks on it.
“If people, organisations, political parties and individuals have any contrary view, they should provide and we do not think there is any contrary view, so we are only putting across that they should stop attacking the EC when they have no grounds,” the Commission decried.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has in the last one week engaged in spirited banter with the Commission alleging a plot with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to insert the name of an unqualified candidate into the Assin North Constituency voter’s register.
The EC has set June 27, 2023, as the date for a by-election in the Assin North Constituency following the Supreme Court’s ruling that ousted James Gyakye Quayson, former Member of Parliament (MP).
The court held that his election was null and void because at the time he filed to contest, he owed allegiance to another country contrary to Ghanaian laws.
Whereas the EC had explained per the regulations governing elections that a parliamentary candidate does not have to necessarily be a registered voter in a place they seek to lead, Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communication Officer of the NDC insisted otherwise.
Dr Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, bemoaned that when a party is in opposition, the Commission is mostly to be attacked by that party regarding any issue even when it had no grounds.
He pointed out that most often than not when a party is in opposition, the Commission became the whipping tool, on any issue, they would whip EC without any grounds.
“If you look at the statement, it was stated that if they have any contrary view, they should provide and I do not think there is any contrary view, so we are only putting across that they should stop attacking the Commission when they have no grounds.
“Whether we like it or not we are stakeholders in the electoral processes, the parties cannot have elections without EC, and we cannot conduct elections without the parties’ sponsoring candidates.
“Opposition parties can criticise constructively if the Commission is doing the wrong thing, but if genuinely there are no reasons to attack us, then they should avoid it.
“We are not saying that if we are doing something bad they should not talk about it, but when there is none, you do not smear us with unjustifiable attacks,” Dr Quaicoe indicated.
