The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Kwetey, has criticized Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), accusing it of partiality and fostering distrust in the country’s electoral process.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, December 2, Fifi Kwetey expressed concerns over the EC’s actions as Ghana prepares for the December 2024 general elections.
“The EC, unfortunately, has placed themselves in a situation where the whole world is watching with eagle eyes,” the General Secretary, who also serves as the MP for Ketu South, remarked. “They should not have placed themselves in that situation, but that’s what they’ve done.”
Fifi Kwetey reiterated the NDC’s lack of confidence in the EC, pointing to its composition and decision-making during key electoral events as reasons for distrust. He accused the EC of acting in ways that seem to favor the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“As far as we are concerned, this EC, by its very composition and by what we have seen over the period, will very much want to do everything possible to make the ruling NPP remain in power,” he alleged.
While Kwetey admitted there is no direct evidence of electoral manipulation, he cited historical incidents and perceived favoritism as grounds for the NDC’s suspicions.
The NDC’s dissatisfaction with the EC has been evident in recent years, particularly through the party’s temporary withdrawal from the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC). According to Kwetey, this protest was necessary because IPAC, traditionally a platform for consensus, had become undemocratic due to the EC’s actions.
“IPAC has historically been a place for consensus, but because of the intrusions of the EC, we were forced to pull out,” he explained.
He also revisited an incident during the ballot drawing process to determine the positioning of presidential candidates on the election paper. Kwetey accused the NPP of undermining the procedure and claimed the EC failed to address the situation.
“We told them that no political party should be allowed to take a look into the box where the ballot was. But the NPP flagrantly abused that process, and the EC did nothing about it. That doesn’t show you’re strong enough to stand up to the ruling party,” he charged.
Despite the NDC’s concerns, Kwetey acknowledged the party’s decision to re-engage with IPAC as an opportunity to influence the process. However, he warned that the NDC would maintain a vigilant stance, ensuring that every action by the EC is scrutinized during the upcoming elections.
“By the very historical conduct of the EC, from the previous election to some of the things happening in this election, we are clearly going into this with absolute eagle eyes,” he emphasized.
The General Secretary assured party members and supporters that the NDC remains committed to ensuring a transparent and fair electoral process, urging the EC to uphold its mandate without bias or interference.
“Eventually, we’ve gone back [to IPAC] because we thought, you know what, let’s give ourselves another opportunity to see how things will be,” he said, while maintaining the party’s cautious approach.
Source: InsiderGH.com
