It seems the EC is not reading the mood of the country well – Franklin Cudjoe warns

Franklin Cudjoe, the Founding President of the policy think tank Imani Centre for Policy and Education (Imani Africa), has criticized the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana for what he perceives as a failure to accurately understand the country’s prevailing sentiments during its execution of election management duties.

Mr. Cudjoe expressed concerns about the EC’s perceived lack of sensitivity in implementing certain reforms, emphasizing the need for the commission to align its actions with common sense. He voiced his hope that the EC’s actions would not lead to a situation akin to the disenfranchisement experienced by the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) in the 2020 elections.

“It seems the Electoral Commission is not reading the mood of the country well. They should keep on running around common sense. I hope they’re not cooking another SALL,” he shared on social media.

The EC has faced criticism, particularly from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), for discontinuing the use of indelible ink in public elections. Additionally, the commission’s proposal to conclude voting in public elections at 3 pm instead of 5 pm has sparked controversy, although the EC has defended its decisions.

In the 2020 elections, due to the creation of the Oti Region and the EC’s inability to establish a constituency for the people of SALL, they were disenfranchised in the parliamentary elections.