Stop attacks on EC - Coalition

Political Parties Outside Parliament (PPOP), a coalition of parties without representation in the legislature, has urged the public to desist from attacks on the Electoral Commission (EC).

It called on the citizenry to exercise decorum in addressing issues relating to the EC.

In a statement issued and signed by the Convener of the group, Jerry Owusu Appauh, who is also the General Secretary of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), it expressed regret over the rate at which the work of the EC and its chairpersons had been undermined over the years.

“Unfortunately, within our own country, we continue to drag them through the mud by levelling all sorts of unfounded allegations and suspicions that cause mistrust and go a long way not only to affect the cost of our elections but also its credibility in the minds of the people,” it said.

PPOP

The political parties that form the PPOP are the LPG, Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), National Democratic Party (NDP), People’s National Convention (PNC), United Progressive Party (UPP), Power Unity Party (PUP) and Ghana Freedom Party (GFP).

The others are Yes People's Party (YPP), Democratic People's Party (DPP), New Vision Party (NVP), Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) and United Renaissance Party (URP).

Education by the media

Underscoring the need to protect the nation’s democracy and the freedom of speech, the coalition emphasised that insensitive and inflammatory comments and opinions by some people, including political leaders, should be censured and discouraged.

It further urged the media to lead efforts in sensitising the electorate to ways to ensure that the long-standing democracy of the nation was not undermined by self-interest and ill-informed opinions.

“We encourage the media to play a critical role by checking political interest groups to conform with the norm and reality, and to do away with self-centred positions that could destroy this country on the altar of winning political power,” it said.

NDC and GUM

The POPP also pointed accusing fingers at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the leader of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Christian Kwabena Andrews,popularly known as Osofo Kyiri Abosom, for deliberately sabotaging the efforts of the EC.

It alleged that the NDC was peddling false information about the EC’s proposed use of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) card for voter registration.

“It is sad that our brothers from the NDC who abandoned their duty to participate at IPAC have taken a contrary stance on the new Constitutional Instrument (CI). Unfortunately, ever since this information by the EC came out, there have been a lot of allegations and even honourable members of Parliament who can easily read this new CI joined as the source of falsity just to score cheap political points,” it said.