Peace Council urges trust in Electoral Commission

Ghanaian

The National Peace Council (NPC) has called on political parties and stakeholders in Ghana’s democracy to trust the Electoral Commission (EC) in resolving challenges or problems with the electoral process.

The NPC highlighted the EC's elaborate processes for addressing issues related to voter registration and the conduct of elections, emphasizing the need for stakeholders to utilize these

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Executive Secretary of the NPC, George Amoh, emphasized the importance of portraying the EC in a manner that fosters transparency, fairness, and credibility.

He cautioned against actions that could erode trust in the EC, stating, "Let us be careful not to push the EC into a situation where Ghanaians do not trust whatever the EC does."

Amoh stressed that for credible elections, all Ghanaians, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), have a role to play in supporting the EC's processes.

Regarding the ongoing limited voters’ registration exercise, Amoh urged political parties and their agents to use the laid-down procedures to address concerns such as the eligibility of voters, rather than resorting to confrontations at registration centers.

He emphasized the need for stakeholders to encourage qualified individuals to register and refrain from preventing eligible voters from participating.

Amoh acknowledged isolated incidents of violence, arrests, and intimidation at some registration centers but cautioned against generalizing these occurrences.

He called for a law-abiding approach from all stakeholders and highlighted the substantial cost implications of deploying security personnel and political party agents.

The NPC's Executive Secretary also mentioned the establishment of a political parties trust-building platform to address concerns raised by political parties, aiming to contribute positively to the discourse on electoral processes in Ghana.