A political science lecturer is warning the ruing New Patriotic Party (NPP) not to delude itself into thinking that the implementation of Representation of the People Amendment Act (ROPAA) will win them the 2020 general elections.
According to Dr. Kwesi Amakye Boateng, people living in the Diaspora will vote for the NPP if it accelerate Ghana’s development.
His comment follows a Accra High Court ruling ordering the Electoral Commission (EC) to implement the controversial law passed in 2005.
In a judgement delivered Monday, the Court, presided over by Mr Justice Anthony Yeboah, said the 12 months grace period starts from January 1, 2018 and it is to enable Ghanaians in the diaspora to vote in the 2020 elections.
Per the court order, the EC must operationalise the Act by laying a constitutional provision (CI) before Parliament to set out the modalities for the implementation of the Act.
Commenting on the order on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday, Dr. Amakye Boateng said the implementation will sanitize Ghana’s political system.
He indicated that, giving Ghanaians abroad the opportunity to exercise their franchise will deepen Ghana’s democratic credentials.
The political science lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) however warned political parties especially the NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) not to see it as an election winning machine.
He also chastised EC lackadaisical attitude towards the implementation of Representation of the People Amendment Act (ROPAA) 2006 (Act699).
“Is the EC going to use its money for ROPAA? I don’t understanding why they are giving excuses. It is long overdue” he fumed.
Dr. Amakye Boateng urged the electoral body to comply with the court order and allow Ghanaians abroad vote in election 2020.
Source: Ghana/Adomonline.com/Adwoa Gyasiwaa Agyeman
'NPP won’t benefit from ROPAA if'…
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