Politics of Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Source: peacefmonline.com
Comments by former President John Mahama, that EC Chairperson, Jean Mensah, will be held responsible if the country is plunged into turmoil after the 2020 general elections have been condemned by the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party.
Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako has emphatically stated that the 2016 electoral defeat suffered by former President Mahama is gradually taking a toll and turning him into a man filled with greed.
According to the NPP Chairman popularly referred to as Chairman Wontumi, the former President doesn't speak like a Statesman and his utterances against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission show clearly that he doesn't wish for Ghana to remain a peaceful country.
He explained that in the run-up to the December 7, 2016, general elections, former President Mahama made a public statement to the effect that the EC must be given peace to do its work but wonders why he has now taken an extreme posture against the same body.
It will be recalled that in defense of the EC's decision to change their logo in 2016, former President Mahama said that “This is a time when we need to give the Electoral Commission peace to do its work..."
“Recently a brouhaha over a logo; I mean how is a logo going to affect the quality of election in this country. I don’t think it’s a discourse we need to be splitting heads on.”
Chairman Wontumi noted that he had expected Mr. Mahama to continue with this same posture towards the EC after they declared to compile a new voters’ register.
He added that he was shocked to hear the NDC leader openly criticise the same institution for making moves to compile a new voters' register.
According to Chairman Wontumi the flagbearer for the NDC must "learn to speak like a Statesman" and avoid attacking the same institution that declared him President in 2012.
The flagbearer of the NDC, in an address to some Western Region Fisher folks who paid him a courtesy call, stated the the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensah, and her outfit will be held responsible if the country is plunged into turmoil after the 2020 general elections.
“So if on December 7, 2020, we all go to our polling stations to vote and the machines fail or a lot of people don’t find their names and the election doesn’t go down well, then what are we going to do.
“That is why we [Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voters' Register] are telling Jean Mensah and her outfit that they should be careful,” he said.