Stop attacking EC, you can’t hold elections without EC - Serebour Quaicoe to parties

The Electoral Commission (EC) has warned political parties to desist from attacking the integrity of the commission to help protect its sanctity.

He said this highlighting how essential the EC is to political parties in the organisation of internal and nationwide elections.

Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC issued this warning to political parties speaking in an interview on Accra-based Joy FM’s 6 am news on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

He called on the political parties to desist from impugning the integrity of the EC and rather help build consensus in the country’s electoral processes.

Dr. Quaicoe was reacting to the main opposition National Democratic Congress's (NDC) claims that the EC was working to favour the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming by-election scheduled for Assin North Constituency in the Central Region on June 27, 2023.

He said this has always been the mode of operation of the political parties especially when in opposition.

He gave the assurance that the EC is made up of people with integrity who will not soil their integrity by favouring a particular political party in an election.

In a related development, the National Communication Officer for the opposition NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, accused the ruling NPP and the EC of plotting to insert the name of an unqualified candidate into the voters’ register for the Assin North constituency.

In a statement, the NDC's Communication Officer claimed that the ruling party, in collaboration with the EC, plans to transfer and insert Charles Opoku’s name into the voters’ register, even though he is not a registered voter in the Assin North constituency.

He emphasised that the nomination form for the Assin North by-election requires candidates to be registered voters in that constituency.

Regulation 22 of the Public Elections Regulations 2020 (C.I 127) stipulates that voter transfers can only be made for ordinary citizens at least 42 days before a public election.

Gyamfi indicated that the Assin North by-election is less than 42 days away, and no Returning Officer has been appointed yet, so any transfer of voters to the constituency would be unlawful and vehemently opposed by the NDC.

“We are closely monitoring this situation and shall take every legitimate step to ensure that this illegal plot is not carried out by the Electoral Commission and their collaborators in the NPP,” Gyamfi stressed.