Former Electoral Commission (EC) Chairman, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, has called for severe punishment for individuals who commit serious election offences, particularly professional election officials and electronic experts, as their actions could undermine the will of the people, potentially rising to the level of treason.
Speaking at the Ghana Bar Association’s (GBA) annual conference in Kumasi, Dr. Afari Gyan emphasized that professional election administrators and electronic experts should be held to a higher standard due to their expertise. He noted, “An election official, by their training, knows the right thing to do, and an electronic expert tampering with figures knows exactly what they are doing. These individuals should be seriously punished.”
He argued that strict penalties would act as a deterrent for those considering engaging in election malpractices, reiterating that in democratic elections, the voter holds a vital position and the integrity of the vote is paramount.
Dr. Afari Gyan also advised political parties and candidates to gather all necessary data, including the official election summary document, often referred to as the “pink sheet,” before challenging election results in court. The pink sheet is the EC’s official document for recording and collating election results and is crucial for validating the outcomes of elections.
He stressed that “pink sheets are the most important source documents for reconstructing election results” and advised those without authentic, properly executed pink sheets to reconsider before filing legal challenges.
