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LMVCA : ON-GOING PROXY APPLICATION PROCESS IS AN
OPEN WINDOW FOR RIGGING!!!
LMVCA
September 06, 2016
The Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) is
deeply concerned about the lack of transparency
on the part of the Electoral Commission of Ghana
(EC) in the ongoing proxy voting application
exercise.
On Tuesday, August 16, 2016, the EC
issued a press release announcing that the proxy
voting applications would commence the very next
day, Wednesday, August 17, 2016 and end on
Monday, September 26, 2016. Thus, the exercise
commenced hurriedly without any substantial
public education on the process. Indeed, the
surreptitiousness surrounding this exercise
gives cause for great concern as it suggests
that the EC is willfully keeping the electorate
in the dark about the entire process of proxy
voting.
The LMVCA is skeptical about the
unorthodox way in which the proxy application is
currently being carried out. The usual practice
under Regulation 25 of CI 94 is that it is the
eligible voter who has determined that he/she is
unable to vote on Election Day, who picks up the
application form. Yet, in the ongoing proxy
application exercise, the press release signed
by the EC PRO makes it open for both the
Applicant and the Proxy to be able to pick the
Proxy application form. This deviation is not
only puzzling, but also opens the floodgates for
fictitious applications.
The absence of a
clearly defined process for the submission of
the proxy application, coupled with the apparent
secrecy surrounding the entire process, fuels
suspicions of foul play by the EC.
Although
according to CI 94, a proxy application may be
done not less than 42 days before Election Day,
the fact that proxy applications are being
opened 113 clear days before the election and
spanning a period of 41 days is outlandish and
calls for a high alert.
The LMVCA wishes to
reiterate that the future of democracy in Ghana
hinges on the processes and outcome of election
2016. Some of the most inalienable virtues in
the every step of an electioneering body is
transparency, inclusiveness, fairness, and
integrity. It is therefore extremely crucial
that the EC conducts its affairs in such a
manner that would restore the waning confidence
of the public in its ability to conduct credible
elections.
Thank you.
David Asante
Convener – 0268 220220
Ibrahim Adjei
Spokesperson – 0243 338544
John H.
Acquaah
Dir. Operations – 0268 110110
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