Former President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency, Jerry John Rawlings has urged the leadership of the organization responsible for Ghana’s general elections, the National Electoral Commission to do all in their power to maintain the sanctity of the power of the right of choice.
According to the former Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, upholding the sanctity of the process will ensure the stability and the acceptance of any electoral process by winners and losers, explaining that, the sanctity of the right of choice is something that must be preserved., indicating that, freedom and justice is not abstract, as it is very much related to the sanctity of the right of choice.
At the meeting held at instance of the Electoral Commission in the former President’s office at Ridge, he praised the Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensa, saying, she comes from a background of high integrity which should guide and shape her leadership as it is not easy to maintain a high level of integrity.
Flt Lt Rawlings said, ironically the parties tend to demand the highest standards from the Electoral Commission when some of them have undermined and defiled the sanctity of the process. He noted that, the mass of the people must know the thinking process of the commission members.
Earlier, the Electoral Commissioner who led the six-member delegation from the Commission indicated they called on the former President as part of their desire to bring the Commission closer to stakeholders in order to demystify the electoral processes and exorcise the cloak of secrecy that has shrouded the Commission’s work over time.
Meanwhile, the former President Jerry John Rawlings called on the Electoral Commission to take a critical look at the concerns raised by the National Democratic Congress on the ongoing limited voter registration exercise. He stated that, following concerns raised in a press conference by the NDC on Thursday, it has become necessary for the Electoral Commission to give the party a listening ear and review the process where necessary.
According to him, the sanctity of the electoral process has to be protected. It is therefore imperative that concerns over the inability of eligible voters to register due to challenges of distance, failure of equipment and inadequate facilities are well investigated, revealing that, the concerns came up during my meeting with the Commission, urging them to relook the matter in the spirit of fairness and equity.
The former President, Jerry John Rawlings said, since there is already a working structure between the Electoral Commission and the parties through the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), all stakeholders in the electoral process should work together to resolve any challenges in an atmosphere of mutual respect and decorum.
