Former Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has expressed concern over the failure of Electoral Commissioners and managers of Ghana’s Electoral Management Body to safeguard the voting rights of Ghanaians.
The longest-serving EC Chairperson emphasized that ensuring the voting rights of Ghanaians should be a primary focus for EC commissioners rather than politicians, as is becoming the current trend.
He criticized the EC’s insistence on exclusively using the Ghana Card for registration in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
“This sad action taken by the Chairperson and her team of staff is a clear case of how the EC has failed to uphold the constitutional rights of ordinary Ghanaians to vote.”
Dr. Afari-Gyan highlighted these significant concerns and other unfavorable observations about Ghana’s present electoral system during his keynote address at the Constitution Day Public Lecture organized by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Law School and the One Ghana Movement on Monday, January 8, 2024.
The experienced election administrator stressed that while political parties may advocate for positions favourable to them, it remains the responsibility of EC commissioners to safeguard the rights of the voter.
“Political parties can take a stand that constitutes an obstacle to the realisation of the electoral rights of the people. When that happens, the electoral commission must uphold and protect the rights and interests of the people,” Dr. Afari-Gyan said.
He pointed out that recent events at the EC indicate that political parties are now the ones advocating for the interests of the people.
“In contrast, the current Electoral Commission’s drive to make the Ghana Card the only document for voter registration when that card is not easily accessible to all Ghanaians and its refusal to consider the request by political parties to do the 2023 limited voter registration at the electoral area level closer to the people than at the district level.
This situation seems to indicate that the political parties are now defending the interests of the voters,” he noted.
