The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has indicated it has begun a series of consultations with stakeholders on the party’s proposals for electoral reforms.
It said the aftermath of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections has left doubts in the minds of many Ghanaians and governance experts about the credibility of Ghana’s electoral process.
A statement from the NDC’s Director of Elections, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah noted, “having conducted a comprehensive review and audit of the 2020 elections, the NDC observed flaws and that affected the credibility of the elections. Consequently, the leadership of the party commissioned a team of experts led by a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ghana, Nana Ato Dadzie, also a former Chief of Staff under the President Jerry John Rawlings administration, and International Political Transitions Consultant and Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, a Professor of Governance, a former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development; a former Minister for Foreign Affairs and a former Minister for Planning, Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration.”
The statement said the party has come up with 34 recommendations for consideration by the government and the Electoral Commission, EC which when implemented will help restore credibility to Ghana’s elections.
These recommendations have been shared with stakeholders including the Electoral Commission. It said Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)that participated in the meeting included the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), IMANI Africa, Community Focus Foundation and Africa Centre for Women in Politics.
Others were ASEPA, CARE Ghana, ISODEC, Ghana Integrity Initiative, ADAM GH and Youth Bridge Foundation. The National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo thanked the CSOs for their interest in electoral reforms and asked the CSOs to partner with the NDC in its quest for electoral reforms.
Meanwhile, NDC’s Electoral Reforms committee, together with the leadership of the party, are scheduled in the coming weeks to meet other stakeholders including the labour unions, religious leaders, the National Peace Council, the National House of Chiefs and the Diplomatic Community.
The National Democratic Congress rejected the results of the 2020 Presidential Election and proceeded to challenge the results at the Supreme Court. The party also disagreed with the judgment of the Supreme Court, which upheld Nana Akufo Addo as the validly elected President in the 2020 polls, citing procedural improprieties. NDC subsequently announced a temporary boycott of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) and Electoral Commission’s activities pending reforms that it said would guarantee free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
