President and Chairman of Groupe Nduom (GN), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, says instead of the Electoral Commission (EC) ensuring that the Political Parties’ Laws are implemented as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution, it [the EC] was just doing ‘pick and choose’ when it suits them.
According to him, the EC, led by Mrs. Charlotte Osei, has proved to be incapable of implementing the electoral laws due to some reasons best known to her and her associates rather than the national interest.
“We need a strong independent and objective state institution. The fact that the EC conducts elections and declares winners for the losing parties to accept the results doesn’t make it a credible institution. We want a proper institution to implement the laws that have been put under their care,” he indicated.
Dr. Nduom made these observations on Ghana, Great and Strong on Ocean 1 Television in Elmina in the Central Region.
The programme, which is hosted by Dr. Nduom every Saturday from 7:00 p.m., to 8:00 p.m., is also carried live on four television channels and over fifteen (15) radio stations across the country.
Dr. Nduom stated that Chapter 7, Section 55 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana guarantees the right of the formation of political parties, as well as the right of any citizen of voting age to join a political party.
In his view, it was paramount for Ghanaians to know that political parties are not there just for elections.
“A political party is free to participate in shaping the will of the people, to disseminate information on political ideas, social and economic programmes and also sponsor candidates for elections,” stressed Dr. Nduom.
However, he intimated that the EC, which is the mandated body to ensure that the representation of the people was done in a proper and continuous manner, was not helping the electorate and for that matter, the people of Ghana to get there.
Touching on the declaration and presentation of political parties’ audited accounts, the GN president explained that the constitution explicitly states that political parties shall be required by law to declare annual audited accounts to the general public which include their revenues and assets and the sources of those revenues.
“Only a citizen of Ghana may make contributions or donations to a political party registered in Ghana”. He stated confidently that it is abundantly clear that non-citizens have been funding campaigns in this Foirth Republic. What has the EC done about that? Instead of setting up mechanisms to check blatant disregard for the Political Parties Law, the EC rather has relegated its role to that of serving the parochial interest of those it favors. In addition, Dr. Nduom stated that the EC has sat there for so-called political parties to flout the laws, become dormant and only rise during election years.
And on the above score, Dr. Nduom asserted that the EC has failed woefully.