The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described as outrageous the directive by the Electoral Commission’s (EC) to its district officers to deny the presence of party agents in the ongoing vote transfer exercise.
General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, described the EC’s directive as disgusting and outrageous, which he said is “clearly calculated to aid gerrymandering through illegal voter transfers.”
The NDC’s General Secretary in a June 3 statement also accused the EC of colluding with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to tint the transparency of the process, which he said must be disregarded.
See full statement below
PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release:
03/06/2024
POLITICAL PARTY AGENTS MUST OBSERVE THE VOTER TRANSFER EXERCISE
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has noted with disgust, a memorandum from the Deputy Chairman (Operations) of the Electoral Commission to Regional Directors of the Commision, directing them to disallow agents of political parties from observing the ongoing voter transfer exercise.
We find this directive outrageous and clearly calculated to aid gerrymandering through illegal voter transfers.
It is sad that the Electoral Commission, which is supposed to be a neutral umpire and a champion of transparency in our electoral processes, has opted for opacity in such an important electoral exercise.
What do the Electoral Commission and the NPP have to hide that they do not want Agents of political parties to observe the ongoing voter transfer exercise?
Political party agents play an important role in promoting transparency, and deepening confidence in our electoral system, so the actions of the EC must enhance the important role of political party agents, and not seek to diminish it.
In our view, an insistence on this directive by the Electoral Commission can only be in furtherance of the suspected devious and sinister agenda of the Commision to manipulate the processes leading to the 2024 elections.
The National Democratic Congress therefore hereby calls on all its agents across the country to defy and disregard this outrageous directive by the Electoral Commission. All structures of the party, particularly Regional and Constituency Secretariats, are hereby directed to deploy NDC agents to all district offices of the EC to closely monitor the ongoing voter transfer exercise.
With Eagle Eyes, the NDC shall remain vigilant through our trusted agents across the country and resist any attempt by the EC to engage in gerrymandering or manipulate the processes leading to the upcoming 2024 elections.
Regional and Consituency Secretariats are further directed to institute adequate measures to protect party agents and resist any acts of intimidation, harassment and/or attacks on them.
SIGNED.
HON. FIFI FIAVI KWETEY
GENERAL SECRETARY