By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Takoradi, July 5, GNA – Participants at a day’s stakeholders’ engagement to solicit inputs on Electoral Reforms have called on politicians to stop enticing Ghanaians with monies during elections.
Voting is central to democracy and development and must be achieved on issue-based campaign messages, rather than politicians buying the conscious of the people with monies, cloths, enema can, television sets, blenders, fridges among other items.
There must be a cap on how much a party or individual could spend on campaigns.
Others also spoke strongly against voter suppression, the EC publishing late on their website Constituency results rather than Polling station results, long days of Electoral dispute adjudication and the lack of efforts on the parts of political parties to give more women a chance to achieve the dictates of the affirmative action.
The police must be used at the polling stations as against the military since it was the Ghana Police Service’s mandate to promote internal security.
Politicians are also to avoid using ‘macho men’ or “abolos” at the polling stations which often created unnecessary problems and some culminating into pocket of violence and thus denting the Democratic credentials of the State
Mr. Alfred Gyimah, from Conservation International, said Ghana must begin shifting from biometric to real electronic voting, declare a national holiday on the day of voting to ensure that many took part in the process, while deliberate efforts were put in place to have more women in the political space.
The CDD engagement was to galvanise support on the proposed Reforms and mainly to standardise the processes in Electoral dispute settlement.
‘It is believed that a dedicated court with a dedicated judge in any Electoral dispute resolution was key to cutting down delays which sometimes saw a disputed party stay to attend Parliament or be in office only to be declared disqualified after proceedings which may take between one to four years.”
Also, the reforms want the government to pass the affirmative action bill into law to compel state institutions to strive towards the 30 percent women quota and 50 percent ultimate.
Nana Egya Kwamina XI, Chief of Apremdo, stressed the need for the NCCE to be adequately resourced to carry out education on citizens’ rights to choose leaders devoid of money influence
He said many institutions in the country had been siphoned over the period with little or no strength to function… Our institutions need to be strengthened and allowed to work as said by Barack Obama sometime back.”
The Chief queried, “why foot soldier if there is trust in the National security apparatus.”
Alhaji Ousman Dogoni, in the office of the Western Regional Chief Imam, said Ghana must be secured now for the future generations and prayed that politicians began demonstrating love for country and true servant leadership for the growth of the country.
Ambassador Francis Tsegah, Senior Fellow of the CDD, noted how Reforms particularly the 2012 Electoral petition and decision afterwards had greatly improved the electoral system of the country.
Despite the gains, there was still more to be done, noting the need for a more standardised forms of correcting electoral wrongs.
Areas of concern in Reforms include legal, administrative and structure.
Mr. Joseph Oti Frempong, also from the CDD, noted the various activities and engagement to achieve the proposed 27 Reforms put together in 2015 after the election petition.
He prayed that stakeholders worked collaboratively and drove the agenda to ensure that electoral activities in the country were smooth, fair and transparent, one that advanced peace and security.
GNA