NPP calls on Electoral Commission to convene IPAC Meeting
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Friday called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to convene IPAC Meeting immediately to help restore credibility and ensure that all the “Accra Principles of Electoral Justice” are implemented for Election 2012.
It said: “There is an urgent need to convene IPAC Meeting immediately so that together, we can help restore credibility and ensure that all the “Accra Principles of Electoral Justice” are implemented for Election 2012”.
The party made the call in a letter addressed to the EC in Accra by Mr Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, National Chairman.
It referred to previous correspondence on the need to get IPAC convened and deliberating on matters regarding the forthcoming Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise and other issues pertaining to Election 2012.
“Our call for specific information and material to enable us convince ourselves that the ‘tender process’ leading to the procurement of equipment and materials is credible has fallen on, sadly, deaf ears.
“We wholly endorse and support the constitutional provisions safeguarding the independence of the Electoral Commission. However our interpretation of the constitution is that the powers of that independence must be used to provide the nation with an election process that is credible, transparent, fair and ultimately delivers a result that is accepted by stakeholders as reflecting the true choice of the electorate.
“We do not believe that the independence is given to the Electoral Commission for it to act in a capricious and unilateral manner that can lead to the election process producing discord and tension in our country.
“We respectfully advise that as one of the major stakeholders in Ghana’s democratic process, not receiving the courtesy of a response to our letters is a bad signal.
“Further to receiving a copy of your “Invitation to Tender (ITT)” given to shortlisted companies to submit their solution for the Biometric Registration exercise, we commissioned two independent IT experts in the field of biometrics to analyze your ITT and give us their unvarnished assessment as to whether the ITT will lead to a credible BVR.
“Both teams arrived at the same conclusion. The gaps, risks and security flaws in the ITT, if not addressed and demonstrated to the parties, are of such serious magnitude as to make the BVR not credible and prone to fraudulent abuse.
“In the light of the above, we wish to convey our deep sense of apprehension that the manner in which you are conducting affairs towards Election 2012, secretly, stealthily and silently is a recipe for disaster.
“We realise that your institution has no experience in the field of electoral Biometrics and you have not requested credible experts to help you in undertaking this exercise. This can lead only to a bad outcome.
“Coming events cast their shadow. The pending court case has the potential of not only jeopardizing your already poorly implemented “roadmap” but impugning the integrity and credibility of the EC,” it added.
The failure of EC to demonstrate practically to us, by the time Parliament reconvenes during the third week of October, that our concerns are being addressed, would convince us that for Election 2012 the EC cannot be relied upon to ensure a free, fair, credible election.
“We would then not be a supporter of the BVR exercise and will advocate for the EC to undertake a new manual registration system which is open, transparent, verifiable, economical and auditable (tried and tested) done simultaneously in all polling stations rather than support the flawed and opaque system the EC intends embarking on,” the letter added.
Source: GNA