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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected the accusation by the opposition Democratic National Congress (NDC) that it was conspiring with the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Identification Authority (NIA) to devise a means to deny some 11 million Ghanaians the chance to vote in the upcoming 2020 general elections.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, the nuclear power plant’s national campaign manager, Peter Mac Manu, said the NDC’s allegations should be ignored.
He insisted that the NDC was making those claims primarily because the party was afraid of losing again if the 2020 elections were held with a new voter registry, hence its claims.
Mr. Mac Manu’s reaction at the press conference was in response to a previous press conference organized by the NDC and led by its National President, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, where the party accused the NPP, EC and NIA of the plot.
The plans, according to the NDC president, were to manipulate the elections in favor of the current PNP government.
Also read: EC and NIA plan to manipulate 2020 elections – NDC alleges
Responding, Mac Manu said: “We support the compilation of a new registry, but we will let the EC make that decision. However, with or without a new registry, the New Patriotic Party is ready to campaign and win the backing of the overwhelming majority Ghanaians once again in the upcoming polls, based solely on what we are delivering to protect and improve the lives of people in every corner of the country. May God bless our homeland Ghana and make it great and strong. “
He insisted that the NDC was only spreading a “false conspiracy theory” against the PNP.
“But it is important that we make it clear that the PNP is and cannot be part of any conspiracy to manipulate the 2020 elections. The NDC has come together to plan and has finally come up with the details of its false conspiracy theory against the PNP A bogus conspiracy doesn’t turn into a credible conspiracy just because an opposition that fears losing a free contest and just says so.
“We want the people of Ghana to ask the NDC this simple but important question: So what does the 2012 voter registration have that the NDC is so determined to protect it from being replaced? What is in that 2012 registry? that the NDC threatens? civil war if exchanged for a better one?
“Why does the NDC place its entire electoral fortune on that controversial record that was compiled under its mandate?
“Please remember that this is the first time that an opposition party in Ghana has complained and complained loudly against the compilation of a new voter registry. Under President Rawlings, the EC compiled a new registry and the opposition NPP supported it. Under President Kufuor, the EC compiled a new registry and the NDC then under John Atta Mills did not complain. In 2012, under the chairmanship of John Atta Mills, the EC set out to compile a new registry and The PNP not only welcomed him, we were constructive in promoting functions to improve his credibility. ”
Below is a copy of the nuclear power plant’s response.
PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP), READ BY PETER MAC MANU, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN.
DATE: MAY 14, 2020.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, good afternoon! We have invited you here this afternoon to respond to the aspects of the press conference of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that was held this afternoon. The main objective of his argument is that the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Identification Authority (NIA) are in a conspiracy to manipulate the 2020 elections in favor of the PNP. It is within the rights and competence of both the EC and the NIA to respond to the main thrust of the NDC indictment.
But it is important that we make it clear that the PNP is and cannot be part of any conspiracy to manipulate the 2020 elections. The NDC has come together to plan and has finally revealed the details of its false conspiracy theory against the PNP. A bogus conspiracy doesn’t turn into a credible conspiracy just because an opposition that fears losing a free contest and just says so.
We want the people of Ghana to ask the NDC this simple but important question: So what is it about the 2012 voter registry that the NDC is so determined to protect it from being replaced? What is in that 2012 record that the NDC is threatening a civil war if it trades for a better one?
Why does the NDC put its entire electoral fortune on that controversial record that was compiled under its mandate?
Please remember that this is the first time that an opposition party in Ghana has complained and complained loudly against the compilation of a new voter registration. Under President Rawlings, the EC compiled a new registry and the opposing PNP supported it. Under President Kufuor, the EC compiled a new record and the NDC then under John Atta Mills did not complain. In 2012, under the chairmanship of John Atta Mills, the EC set out to compile a new registry, and the PNP not only welcomed it, but we were constructive in pushing for features to enhance its credibility.
It is the same registry that the Supreme Court later ruled was an error for the EC to accept the National Health Insurance Card as the source of identification for the registry in 2012. We opposed the campaign to have that discredited registry changed. . The NDC in government opposed our campaign. It was not done. But we did what any responsible political party should do; We organized and processed our campaign, and the people of Ghana gave us the highest number of MPs and the highest margin of almost a million votes in the presidential election.
Our approach since then has been to justify the trust that the Ghanaian people placed in us by fixing the economy that the NDC manipulated and with Akufo-Addo giving people the thoughtful and decisive leadership that John Mahama is unable to offer.
The NDC national president said this afternoon that the PNP set out to manipulate the 2020 general election immediately after we took office in 2017. Well, Ghanaians know better. The focus of President Akufo-Addo and his government upon taking office was to fix the economy that President John Mahama and his NDC manipulated in his 8 years in office. Our goal remains to manage the crisis caused by Covid-19 so that the Ghanaian economy and society emerge from this crisis stronger and more united. The NDC’s plan is nothing more than fabricating reasons for chaos, disunity and fear. They are doing it because they don’t have a good candidate and a good story to tell voters in December.
It is the record of a manipulated leadership under John Dramani Mahama that the NDC should be afraid of confronting the Ghanaian people again for their votes and not of any false conspiracy to manipulate the elections against them.
The NDC must be reminded that the PNP, as an opposition party, defeated the NDC in 2020, and by the largest margin in Ghana’s history against a president in Ghana’s history.
It is not the fault of any Ghanaian that the NDC decided to bring back as its 2020 presidential candidate the man in whose hands the NDC suffered its greatest defeat in its history. It is not the fault of the PNP that the NDC decided to bring back as the 2020 presidential candidate the same man who gave Ghana the worst performance in economic growth since 1994. It is not the fault of President Akufo-Addo that the NDC has very little confidence in his own chosen candidate for 2020, John Mahama.
We do not need the EC to manipulate an election in our favor. A government that has sent some 1.3 million children to school (which if NDC were in power would be on the streets) does not need an election to be manipulated in their favor. A government that has restored industry and is creating jobs for the people does not need an election to be manipulated in its favor. A government that has put 100,000 unemployed graduates to work does not need an election to be manipulated in their favor. A government that prioritizes the interest of ordinary Ghanaians, whether to protect the money of millions of depositors or to absolve the cost of electricity and water for 30 million Ghanaians, to alleviate the suffering of people when there is a crisis, Such a government does not need an election to be manipulated in its favor. The President continues to show leadership and commitment to the well-being of ordinary Ghanaians and this is what gives us confidence that the Ghanaian people will recognize their leadership and performance and allow the part that knows how to comply to continue.
We intend to fight and win in December based on our performance.
Let me repeat that Ghanaians must discover why the NDC is against compiling a new registry that promises improved security features such as facial recognition. What does the 2012 registry have that the NDC considers sacred? What is it about the 2012 registry that the NDC claims that if replaced, they will never win an election? How did they link their electoral fortunes to maintaining a discredited record? They should tell us. What does the 2012 registry have that the NDC claims is ready to fuel trouble if it is replaced?
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, Ghana since the establishment of the 4th Republic has compiled records at various stages of our journey towards perfecting our democracy: 1992, 1996, 2004, 2012. Basically, we have compiled new records every eight years. . since 1996. And for each of these exercises, the idea has been to introduce characteristics that are better than the previous one in order to guarantee the sanctity of the registry. So why is the NDC afraid of improved registry security and robustness?
We have elections in December, and President Akufo-Addo has made it clear that elections must and will take place as scheduled as far as the government is concerned. The PNP is not afraid to confront the electorate. Assuming, for the sake of discussion, that the coronavirus is still with us as it is now in seven months, and that is a possibility, will the NDC be against holding the elections? There are over 1,000,000 odd youth who have turned 18 since last year. They have the right to be registered. And so, the EC will register them. How will this registration be done? Or is the NDC suggesting that we decriminalize all of these people? The EC is mandated to hold elections in December.
The NDC should be constructive in discussing how the at least one million Ghanaians who will be old enough to register to vote this year will be made, even in this period of social estrangement. It is important that we support the EC in all processes leading to the holding of free, fair and credible elections.
The NDC is not only against compiling a new voter registry, but is also against issuing national identity cards. In 8 years they tried to issue a national ID, but were not competent enough to do so. The benefits of having a national ID are varied and far-reaching. In South Korea and Mauritius, for example, where foreign citizens and residents are properly documented, national IDs have helped curb the spread of the coronavirus disease. For example, over the course of their six-week confinement in Mauritius, residents have been allowed to leave for basic needs according to the alphabetical order of their last names. There are currently no active cases in Mauritius. Such an innovation would be difficult to implement in Ghana without proper identification of citizens and residents. Everyone knows who lives in their homes. We can identify them. Parents can identify their children and wards by name and by face.
Every entrepreneur knows who works in his company. If it’s a large organization, provide them with ID cards. Even the NDC has identification cards for its members. So why is the NDC so against a project that seeks to do for all of our citizens and residents what the NDC has done for its members? So why is the NDC against a national project that seeks to do what the NDC has done for itself?
We understand and appreciate that there are potential risks associated with bringing people together to register for national identification. The nuclear power plant wants to encourage the NIA to share its coronavirus risk mitigation strategies with the public.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, we call on the NDC to face the realities of the time and convince the Ghanaian people why they should bring back to power the inept, clueless and incompetent Mahama after he brought down the country the way He did. We do not choose your standard bearer for them. They chose him. If they find out that he is an albatross around their necks, they shouldn’t be making excuses before the elections to justify his loss in December, which is inevitable.
We will end by saying that we support the compilation of a new registry, but we will let the EC make that decision. However, with or without a new registry, the New Patriotic Party is ready to campaign and win the endorsement of the overwhelming majority of the Ghanaian people once again in the upcoming polls, based solely on what we are delivering to protect and improve the People’s lives in every corner of the country. May God bless our homeland Ghana and make it great and strong.
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