Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt has taken a jab at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over their assertion that the party will win this year's elections by virtue of their performance; not on the basis of a new voters' register.
The Electoral Commission's decision to compile a new voters' register has stirred controversies from the camps of the two major political parties in the country, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the NPP.
NDC Rejects New Voters' Register
The NDC National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Identification Authority (NIA) saying they want to collude with the governing party to arrange the deceitful outcome of the 2020 elections.
According to him, the Commission's quest to compile a new register is a grand scheme to favour President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party to rig the elections.
The NDC alleged that the EC wants to achieve this aim by disenfranchising 11 million Ghanaian electorates, hence the Commission's plan to use only the Ghana card and passport for the registration exercise.
''The exclusion of the voters’ ID card from the requirements of registration for the national ID card by the Akufo-Addo government, was part of a well-calculated scheme to disenfranchise a good number of Ghanaians from acquiring the national ID card (Ghana card), which was to be used subsequently, as one of the registration requirements in the new voters’ register plan they had long hatched.
“As we predicted, the Ghana Card registration process by the NIA has been very slow such that till date, the process which commenced with a pilot late 2017 and was supposed to be completed in one year, has been able to register only 11,062,055 out of about 19 Million Ghanaians (15 years and above) who are eligible to be registered. Even more bizarre is the fact that, out of this 11 million Ghanaians who have been registered, only 7,074,048 have been issued with cards (per NIA’s own website https:nia.gov.gh) as at 2nd May, 2020)'', the NDC National Chairman said in a press conference on Thursday, May 14, 2020, adding that ''the objective is to disenfranchise a significant number of persons in NDC strongholds in furtherance of the Jean Mensa-led EC’s grand scheme to rig the 2020 general elections for the New Patriotic Party".
NPP Refutes Election Rigging Claims
The NPP, responding to the opposition party's claims, says they have no interest in manipulating the EC and NIA to do favours for them.
The party explained that Ghanaians know their track record and their victory in the election is primarily contingent on the achievements of President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Recounting some achievements of the governing party which include Free SHS through which about 1.3 million school children have gained enrolment into various educational institutions, job creation and high employment rate as well as the government's support and efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic among other good works of the President are enough for the NPP to have a landslide victory in the December polls.
"So we do not need the EC to rig the elections in our favour. NPP will win the election based on our soundtrack record'', Mr. Peter Mac-Manu said.
What is NPP's Problem?
Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on 'Kokrokoo' on Peace FM, Kwesi Pratt questioned the logic in the New Patriotic Party's support for the EC to compile a new voters' register if they are certain to win the elections based on their achievements.
Mr. Pratt asked why would they bother to pick an argument with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the registration exercise because to their Campaign Manager, Mr. Mac-Manu, the NPP doesn't need a new or old register to emerge victors.
''If that is the case, then what's the meaning of all this noise? If we use the old or new register for the elections, NPP will win . . if it is possible to organize free and fair elections leading to the victory of NPP, what is the problem?'' he quizzed.
EC Response To Election Rig
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission (EC) says their decision to use the Ghana Card and passport as the legal documents for the voters’ registration exercise is to “aid in the elimination of unqualified names in the register.”
The EC added; “Furthermore, an applicant who does not have the Ghana card or passport may resort to obtaining two guarantors to facilitate their registration and therefore the exclusion of the Voter ID as a requirement will not lead to suppression of votes.
"The Electoral Commission wishes to assure all stakeholders at all levels of its determination to deliver free, fair and credible Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on December 7, 2020 as mandated by law.''
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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HON Kennedy Agyapon says NPP did not win 2016 elections fairly, former ec chairperson said the transmission/voting system was compromised, so what is NDC doing to correct the situation and if possible launch a counter software to intercept and correct transmission, collection and coalation of data/figures- Isrealis/ russians/ukraines are experts in this IT technology. NDC should send IT experts to be trained. Have heard the EC chairperson give reasons which suggests to me that the woman is somehow educated but not an intelligent person. Her explanations/examples are below the belt and not convincing.Ghana needs smart and intelligent people to occupy that sensitive and important position. If NDC is serious they should start their advert to convince a section of the public using social media now. Unfortunately there is nothing like honesty in ghanaian politics - belly first before the head, no trust worthy
So why are you people resisting the new register? Whether you like it or not, it is coming on.
Kwasi Pratt now 65% NDC and 35% CPP.
This is ***barred word*** talk. Are you therefore saying the right thing should not be done because a particular party says 2020 election is a done deal? In any case haven't we been changing the Register since 1992?
In 2016, Kwesi Pratt and Ben Ephson predicted that NPP would know their "smoothness level after the presidential and parliamentary elections". Ben went ahead and predicted 52.4% win for John Mahama and the NDC. Even when the results had come and they clearly showed that NDC had lost miserably, Ben Ephson was recalcitrant and and said NDC would majority in parliament. Ben did all this based on what he saw when NDC was able to steal 500,000 votes for John Mahama through STL at West Airport. Now Kwesi is singing another tune. No one has said the elections have been won already by NPP. What is in the old register that NDC want to protect? What are they so scared in a new register? The following are the reasons why the old voters' register must and will be replaced with a new one. 1. Mr. Charlotte Osei listed as one of the charges during their impeachment, that Amadu Sulley, the Deputy Chairperson had created 1000 illegal polling stations on the register. 2. She also said that the same Sully had made thousands of illegal transfer of votes on the register. 3. Again, it is no secret that there millions of registrants on the old register who got onto it by using NHIS cards. 4. Young people who have just attained the voting age recently don't have their names on the old register. 5. There are at least 1.5 million registrants on the old list who have passed on and whose names must be taken off the register. 6. The old BVDs and all the BVS have become obsolete with the manufacturers describing it as having reached end of life, such that verification will be a major challenge in the coming elections. The proposed one has additional features like facial recognition which will make it easier to verify all voters. 7. According to STL, it will cost less for a new register to be prepared than embarking on a limited registration with the old system, which even more serious. NDC should tell all of us in Ghana and Ghanaians in the diaspora, the reason why they are so afraid of the compilation of a new register. EC has the constitutional mandate to organize elections, and let no one, including NDC, force them to dance to their tune. EC should just go ahead to compile the new register. In this era of Covid-19 we still go to banks for money and we go to the markets and shopping malls, why can't the register be compiled? If NDC says we can't register for elections, are they then saying the elections must be postponed?
Mr. Luuuuuung teeth keep quite and lets think.
RIGHT THING MUST BE DONE. IF YOU HAVE MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND FAMILY, AND EVEN SURPLUS AT THE BANK, YOU STILL NEED TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST ARMEDDD ROBBERSSSS AND THIEVVVES. IT IS ONLY GYAAAAAMANIII PANYIN TO0OTOH WHO WILL THINK BECAUSE HE IS RICH HE DOES NOT NEED TO PROTECT HIMSELF.
RIGHT THING MUST BE DONE. IF YOU HAVE MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND FAMILY, AND EVEN SURPLUS AT THE BANK, YOU STILL NEED TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST ARMEDDD ROBBERSSSS AND THIEVVVES. IT IS ONLY GYIMINIII PANYIN ***barred word*** WHO WILL THINK BECAUSE HE IS RICH HE DOES NOT NEED TO PROTECT HIMSELF.
The NPP's insistent of a new register started before election 2016. The demand is to have a credible register, whether winning or losing. Pratt, from your question anybody demanding a particular register is to enable that person win an election. Meaning your insistent on using the old register is to favor your pay masters (NDC) win 2020 election. Kwesi, you have become so pathetic, hatred and money is destroying you
Massa If your pay masters NDC also think they can win with or without new register why protest against the new register? Didn't NDC tell the court that elections are won at the polling stations and not by the register or anything. So if they will be there when compiling the new register and voting with it, where lies the fear of rigging. Kwasi Pratt now I don't see you as a journalist but rather NDC communication member. You and NDC formed Committee for Joint Action (CJA) when John Agyekum Kuffour was in power but dissolved it immediately NDC Atta Mills came into power. You have hated Nana Addo right from the unset and anything NDC does is good for you but anything NPP does is evil and questionable to you.