The founder and leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Kwasi Addae popularly known as Odike, has advised the Electoral Commission (EC) to postpone the 2020 elections to 2021.
According to him, the continuous rise in the infections of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country would not create an enabling environment for the organisation of a credible parliamentary and presidential election for 2020.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Kumasi, Mr Addae said the current state of affairs would also make it virtually impossible for the EC to strictly follow its schedule timetable for an effective election.
“No one can tell me that looking at the rate of the infection spreading in the country, the pandemic will end very soon,” he said.
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More time
Mr Addae further said even if the pandemic should end before December, this year, the EC would still need more time to follow due process in order to organise a credible election.
“The EC needs enough time to embark on public education before its intended registration exercise, attend to challenges from unqualified registrants, undertake exhibition of the voters register and then prepare for the main election on December 7.”
When asked what should be done to avert a constitutional crisis in the event the EC postpones the elections, Mr Addae said the constitution could be amended to deal with the situation, adding “protecting human lives must be the topmost priority.”
Change strategy
Mr Addae called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his team of experts to change strategy in the fight against COVID-19 to halt the spread of the pandemic in the country.
He said he believed the President lifted the restriction on movement too early.
“The government must revise its tactics to deal with this pandemic,” he said.