[ 2016-06-27 ]

EC getting fundamentals wrong - GBA
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has called on the
Electoral Commission (EC), to execute its
constitutional mandate with impeccable integrity
for a transparent, credible and more acceptable
polls on November 7.

According to the Association, the constant and
frequent resort to the Supreme Court on electoral
issues showed the EC is getting certain
fundamentals wrong, especially as it is seen as
not giving a hearing to certain groups.

Mr Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, the Brong-Ahafo Regional
President of the GBA made the call when members of
the Association joined worshippers at the Elim
City Church on Sunday to commemorate the 34th
Martyrs Day in Sunyani.

Justice Obiri Francis, a Human Right Court Judge
in Kumasi and Justice Amos Buertey, a Supervising
High Court in Sunyani also attended the service.

The GBA observes the solemn religious ceremony
annually in memory of the three high court judges
as martyrs of the Rule of Law who were abducted
and murdered in cold-blood in 1982.

Tributes were paid in remembrance of the late
Justices Mr Fred Poku Sarkodie, Mrs Cecilia
Koranteng-Addow and Mr Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong.

Mr Tuah-Yeboah emphasised that the EC must listen
to shades of opinions and suggestions without
being perceived or seen to be charting the course
of one group to the detriment of other groups, as
it prepares to hold another crucial general
election.

This, he noted, would enable the Commission to
play its referee role more effectively than before
in organising free, fair, transparent, credible
and generally- acceptable polls, “which would
raise the nation’s democratic credentials a few
notches higher”.

Mr Tuah-Yeboah observed that the African
continent is replete with a number of examples of
the devastating consequences of electoral
malpractices.

He expressed the hope that the EC would take a
cue from the mistakes its sister-Commissions
elsewhere had made in the past with its attendant
dangers for their people.

“We Ghanaians do not want to join that
bandwagon of elections, which only make mockery of
democracy and put the continent into the spotlight
for all the bad reasons,” he added.

Source - GNA

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