The Director of Programmes and Policies at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante, has condemned vote-buying in election processes in the country.
This follows the arrest of the Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) by the Office of the Special Prosecutor on charges of distributing money to delegates ahead of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries.
According to Dr. Asante, “If vote-buying is not brought to an end, it will continuously delegitimise the democratic process in the country.”
“The parties are beginning to see the effect of that [vote buying] because when money becomes the ultimate determinate of who represents people in communities, the essence of any party will be completely lost,” he said.
He, therefore, called for an immediate prosecution of politicians and the receivers involved in vote buying.
This position held by Dr Asante has been supported by the Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Edudzi Tameklo.
He, however, believes it has the potential of undermining democracy.
“Like Dr Asante made the point that maybe a time will come when one buyer, one seller will be used as an example so that it will serve as a deterrent to others. So they will know that buying vote and selling your vote are criminal offences,” he said.
Meanwhile, Evans Nimako, the Director of Elections of the New Patriotic Party says the party does not condone acts of vote buying and cheating in elections and anyone involved in such acts will be made to face the law.
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