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It is my reasoned point of view and I insist that this particular Electoral Commission got off to a good start. However, it is ending in a way that subjects the Commission to unnecessary public ridicule.
The preparations for the vote and the voting itself were transparent and smooth. But the post-vote activities, including gathering the results, uncompromising stance and unprecedented mistakes that have characterized virtually everything that has been done, make the Commission a pale shadow of itself.
It is puzzling how the Commission failed to contextualize and nuance a simple one-time recess letter, and at a time when its activities were under scrutiny. They were wrong about the number of districts we have in Ghana in that statement.
The admission of computational errors in the publication of the final results, exposed a certain predilection for speed over precision. The excuse for not hearing minority MPs in these “abnormal times” was flimsy, not clever enough, and only deepened antagonism against the Commission.
These can only dampen the public’s trust in the Commission and accentuate the belief of some that the integrity of its verdict in the 2020 elections was compromised.
You do not protect institutional peace and you resolve any conflict, when you create a problem, you refuse to talk about how the problem can be solved and you suggest that the affected person can go to court. You can’t just slap me and tell me to go to court. That is a kind of impunity and this is palpably annoying.
Despite these challenges, I continue to repeat my call to the NDC to act only within the limits of our laws so as not to cheaply cause public disaffection for themselves.
The demonstrations must be peaceful, if the party still wishes. There should be no burning or destruction of property that is likely to affect innocent people who voted for the party.
When the PNP relied too heavily on their signature Free SHS project without taking into account other key factors that could undermine their electoral fortunes, some of us predicted trouble for them.
Social interventions are good but they do not fully shape the attitude of voters. Free projects that aggressively silence critics and implementers, generate votes only in the minds of those who defend them.
Aside from placing inordinate hopes in the Free SHS program, the NPP made and allowed too many mistakes.
These, among others, include greed, arrogance and corruption on the part of some appointees in an oversized government, antagonism of civil society, the overthrow of Domelovo in the face of revulsion from CSOs and anti-corruption crusaders, the politically childish move to impose parliamentary measures. candidates in voters, the false and low-level attempt to compare the achievements with a regime that the PNP had described as incompetent and had been monumentally defeated in previous elections, the rapid paving of the road at the last minute in some urban and peri-urban communities , the Implementation of COVID relief social interventions such as free water and electricity for a certain category of consumers, which seemed more like propaganda and vote buying interventions, rather than sincere pro-poor initiatives, as well as the neglect of others key topics of interest to many Ghanaians.
These challenges naturally made the return of NDC very attractive to many. That is why, long before the elections, I predicted that the outcome of the 2020 elections would be a victory flavored with defeat and a defeat flavored with victory.
Clearly, the election results show that the NDC is a preponderant force to be reckoned with, potentially leading to a similar 2016 defeat to the PNP, if the PNP continues with its politically suicidal errors.
But whether the NDC will live up to the hype in any future election depends on what it does today. Regardless of your paranoia, I still beg you to go to court and do nothing to take away your public love and sympathy.
You must remember that one of the factors that explained his monumental defeat in the 2016 elections was Akufo Addo’s response after the 2012 election that changed the public perception of him from being a criminal to someone willing to do so. . allow due process to take place.
The victory or defeat of a political party in any future election depends, to a large extent, also on what it does today and how it chooses to express its dissatisfaction with the outcome of today’s elections.
Those who do not want to listen to the advice to be told to go to court should be allowed time to calm down and should be induced to do an examination of conscience as to what they want to do. If they choose to remain in the streets, it would be their democratic right.
But they must remain there in peace and be aware that the unintended consequence of such a long and peaceful stay on the streets would negatively impact public affection for the party.
The outcome of the 2020 elections should be a clear wake-up call to the EC to improve its conduct, its stance and its relations with the NDC and, indeed, with all political parties.
Otherwise, your security of tenure may remain only in theory. It is not necessary to offer any advice to the PNP. Let them learn the lessons of the challenges outlined in this article and allow the presidency and the center of government to be led by a Chief of Staff with an emphatic personality, independence of mind and pedigree, who can exercise sufficient verification control over all. those appointed and have the mental fortitude to even tell the president when he is wrong, while remaining extremely loyal to him.
Dan Kweku Botwe, you should be able to do this to tremendous impact.
