Act and be seen as a neutral arbiter– Mahama to EC

Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged the Electoral Commission of Ghana to be more transparent and neutral to all parties.

President Mahama made this call during his interview on URA Radio in Bolgatanga on his ”thank you tour”, commenting on the response by the Electoral Commission to the NDC on its proposal for electoral reforms.

Former President John Dramani Mahama expressed his disappointment with the Electoral Commission’s refusal to receive the post-2020 electoral reform proposals submitted by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking in an interview on URA Radio in Bolgatanga, Mr. Mahama said the Commission in refusing to receive the proposals asked the NDC to rather send the proposals to the IPAC. This, the 2020 Presidential Candidate of the NDC says is not practicable.

The Electoral Commission (EC), he noted, houses the IPAC and can receive the proposals and present them at the next IPAC meeting for consideration.

President Mahama urged the EC to act and be seen as a neutral arbiter, bringing the political parties together and working in consensus.

Mr. Mahama has started a nationwide tour to thank Ghanaians for their support and voting for him and the NDC Parliamentary Candidates.

Responding to a question about the NDC’s rejection of the 2020 presidential election results, President Mahama said the widespread irregularities recorded during the election accounts for the widespread questioning of the legitimacy of the results by Ghanaians.

He mentioned acts such as voter suppression tactics, the killing of 8 innocent Ghanaians by security personnel and the hostile posturing of the EC as factors that cast a dark cloud over the 2020 elections.

The elections, he maintained, were not free and fair.

“When you have these strange happenings and things like that happen it doesn’t give much confidence to the Electoral Commission that is supposed to be a neutral arbiter in terms of our electoral process. The posturing of the Electoral Commission before, during and after our elections has just showed a certain hostility toward our party.”

According to Mr. Mahama, “when you have an election that everyone accepts and is happy with the results, it gives a certain legitimacy to even the person who governs”.