According to the party, the Commission’s posture is worrying because of its bias against some political parties.

Speaking on Citi FM’s News Analysis and Current Affairs Programme, “The Big Issue,” the Executive Secretary of the party, Richard Nii Armah alleged that although the commission is supposed to act as a fair and fair referee in the 2016 general election, the posture of the Electoral Chair was one of bias.

“From where I sit, I do not think that the Electoral Commission is putting itself in a way that every fair thinking Ghanaian will admit that the EC is being a referee, because some of the actions taken by the EC has been suggest that the commission is not being fair”.

According to the Executive Director, the Electoral Commission seem to have a pre-conditioned mind that some parties are not to be taken serious and must be dealt with haphazardly.

“On the day of the balloting, we (PPP) were called two minute before Madam Charlotte Osei started addressing the press. Which means if we hadn’t gathered intelligence to go there, they (EC) would have done the balloting and we wouldn’t be there.”

Mr. Armah also expressed frustration about the stance of the Electoral Commission regarding the candidature of the flagbearer of the All People’s Congress, Dr. Hassan Ayariga.

“We should asked Charlotte Osei who she thinks will win this election, since she knows those who are going to lose. It appears as if there was an effort by the EC to ensure that certain candidates do not get on the ballot paper, he added.”

Background

The Electoral Commission last month disqualified some 12 aspirants due to anomalies on their nomination forms, but the Supreme Court ordered the commission to extend the nomination period and give the parties a hearing.

But the commission has for the second time disqualified the Flagbearer for the All People’s Congress (APC) from contesting the general elections. Dr. Ayariga was disqualified alongside the presidential aspirants of the United Freedom Party (UFP), the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), the United Development System Party (UDSP), the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) and the Independent People’s Party

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By: Felicia Osei/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He said presenting polling agents who were knowledgeable, vigilant and tolerant, would clear suspicion and doubts of the election results and contribute to the fairness of the polls.

He therefore appealed to them to ensure that their polling agents participated fully in a training workshop to be organised by the EC for polling agents, adding that only those who were trained would be accepted.

Mr. Nyame said this at the inauguration of a 12-member Inter Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) for the Cape Coast North Constituency.

The Committee, comprised stakeholders in the electoral process including representatives of the various political parties, the EC and the Ghana Police Service.

Others are the Ghana National Fire Service, traditional and religious leaders and the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE).

Chaired by the Chief of Abura, Nana Kodwo Adae II, the Committee would serve as a unifying body to promote peace and resolve conflicts before, during and after the elections in the constituency.

The EC Director appealed to the public especially party supporters to seek information from EC offices, whenever they did not understand issues to forestall suspicion and electoral conflicts.

He gave the assurance that the EC had made adequate preparations to ensure free and fair elections.

Inaugurating the Committee, Mr John Michael Aggrey, Assistant Regional Director of NCCE tasked them to identify issues that could result in conflicts and put in place measures to prevent them.

He said the formation of the IPDC formed part of the programmes of the Commission to create platforms for stakeholders of the elections to settle misunderstandings through dialogue.

Mrs Florence Sackey, Senior Civic Education Officer of NCCE said the Commission intended to organise focus group discussions and parliamentary debates in the Constituency as part of its flagship programmes.

She appealed to Ghanaians to take keen interest in civil education activities of the NCCE to effectively participate in national affairs to enhance the country’s democracy.

She urged the committee members to work diligently and devoid of any favouritism to the satisfaction of all.

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Source: GNA

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