EC statement on IPAC meeting deceptive — Coalition

The Inter-party Resistance Against the New Voters Register has described as deceptive and misleading a statement issued by the Electoral Commission (EC) on the purported outcome of the meeting between the Eminent Advisory Committee (EAC) of the EC and other stakeholders on January 30, 2020.

The coalition has, therefore, requested for the official release of the EAC communiqué which was agreed and approved by all the parties in the interest of transparency and fairness.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we agreed that the meeting was inconclusive and that the avenue for continuous dialogue should be opened so as to allow parties to arrive at a consensus; and while at it a platform should be created for technical teams of the political parties to engage with the EC technical team,” the coalition said in a statement signed on behalf of the coalition by Mr Bernard Mornah. 

Inconclusive

It expressed disappointment in the conduct of the EC after the near brawl and inconclusive deliberations at the Coconut Groove Hotel, especially of the statement issued by the EC after the meeting held under the auspices of the EAC.

It said although the meeting was an IPAC meeting, it was held at the instance of the EAC, hence the expectation was that the EAC would release a communiqué as had been the practice with the EAC meetings.

“Besides, it was agreed as part of the ground rules for the meeting to issue a communiqué after the deliberations and same was drafted, read and agreed before the meeting ended, yet has not been released,” it said. 

The statement said it came to the coalition as a shock when it read the public statement from the Commission capriciously purporting to cast a verdict on the discussions in favour of the EC. 

“As if that was not enough, today we saw publications in the newspapers announcing the recruitment of electoral officers for the compilation of a new register even before the EAC could give any further advice. 

“This in the view of the resistance is tantamount to gross disdain and disregard for the ECs own Eminent Advisory Committee and all stakeholders involved in the deliberations,” it said. 

Registration

The statement explained that the disdain followed the announcement of the date for the commencement of the registration exercise ahead of the dialogue of the matter requested for by the Eminent Advisory Committee.

“This we consider not only an act of bad faith to all the stakeholders but also an act of utter disrespect to the ECs own establishment, the Eminent Advisory Committee,” it stated. 

The statement found it curious that less than 12 hours after the meeting, the agreed communiqué with the Eminent Advisory Committee had not been released but rather a deceptive and misleading verdict of what transpired had been reported by a party in the deliberation, the EC.

It said that pointed to the fact that the EC could be misleading the EAC and using them to advance a selfish interest of embarking on a wasteful self-serving expedition.

‘Yénpeni’

It said in view of the foregoing, the coalition was escalating its public manifestations and “further declare the ‘Yénpini March’ to the EC on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

“We shall converge on the Kawukudi Park, Accra, and march through Kanda to the EC and to the Liberation Circle (Children’s Park),” it stated.