The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and People’s National Congress (PNC) have accused the Electoral Commission of deceit after one of the Commissioners claimed a report justifying the need for a new voters’ register had been with them.
According to the two parties, the consultant report, which informed the EC’s decision to create a new voting system has not been shared with them as claimed by the Commission’s Deputy Commissioner in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Eric Bossman Asare.
Dr Bossman Asare had claimed in an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show that the contents of the document were shared with the political parties
“We shared it and also in our press conference on December 31, all these things I’ve stated are clearly embedded in the report so as a Commission we strongly believe it is politics as usual,” he said.
But the NDC in response says no such information has been provided to them.
The party’s Director of Elections, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, said the information provided by the Deputy EC boss on the Super Morning Show is inaccurate.
He said the party has rather written to the EC requesting the document but has yet to be furnished with it.
“We asked for three things; the consultant’s report both internal and external, cost of replacing the register and cost of upgrading and all the political parties agreed on that. We followed up with a letter asking for these specific things and to date, as I speak they have never responded to us or provided any information.
“And it is so shocking that Dr Bossman Asare could come on air rand deceive the entire public. It is a blatant lie. What are they hiding? What are they afraid of,” Mr Afriyie Ankrah queried.
The former Sports Minister said the EC’s refusal to release the documents and other relevant information the political parties have requested for is cause for worry.
National Chairman of the PNC, Bernard Mornah agrees with his NDC counterpart.
He said although the EC had promised to provide the documents, it did not but what he received was an explanation as to why the Commission was going to compile a new register.
He does not think that explanation is enough and is disappointed with the EC’s behaviour.
In an interview on Top Story, he said “listening to Dr Bossman this morning, I felt that persons who have been mandated to handle institutions must do so with a certain level of sincerity, condor and respect for the people they work for and with.
“Dr Bossman lied that he had given the consultant’s report to the political parties…if he came on a radio programme and announced to the whole world that indeed the documents have been made available to the political parties and we know the content, then that man certainly does not have credibility,” he added.
But the governing New Patriotic Party seems unbothered by the EC’s failure to release the document to them.
Director of Elections, Evans Nimako said contrary to the NDC and PNC’s claim, the EC did not agree to share the report with them.
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