Frank Amoakohene with ex president John Mahama during 2020 campaign
The 2020 National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary candidate for the Mampong constituency in the Ashanti region, Dr Frank Amoakohene, has kicked against some of the new reforms proposed by the Electoral Commission (EC).
He believes the implementation of some of the reforms will give grounds to the disenfranchisement of majority of eligible voters in the strongholds of the NDC.
The Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), after a two-day post-2020 election assessment workshop held betweenn 18th and 19th May 2021 by the EC, agreed on the implementation of 16 reforms to govern future elections.
The NDC boycotted the workshop on the basis that the EC Boss, Jean Mensa, was not fair and transparent during the 2020 polls.
However, one of the proposed reforms that has infuriated the NDC is the decision of the EC to close subsequent polls at 3 PM instead of 5 PM which has been the norm since 1992.
Sharing his thoughts on the controversy on Morning Update on TV XYZ on May 21, Dr Amoakohene said the EC’s suggestions that polls close at 3 pm in the next elections means the EC chair has intentions to sabotage the opposition party.
He said since elections days are not statutory holidays, most people close from work before joining queues to cast their ballot. He added that most of the people in NDC strongholds are peasant farmers and usually go to their farms before returning to exercise their franchise thus most eligible voters in those areas would likely be disenfranchised.
Again, the NDC man noted that the last elections was not as smooth as envisaged since electoral materials arrived after the statutory 7 am opening time for polling stations.
On the registration of voters, Dr Amoakohene said, “the law requires the Electoral Commission to put in place pragmatic measures to ensure that any time that citizens reach the eligibility criteria to vote, they can get registered.”
He further stated that, the EC’s proposal to have a data entry at polling stations will rather lead to electoral rigging.
“I was a candidate in 2016 elections and I witnessed already stamped ballots by the EC at the various polling station”
Amoakohene further advised EC to allow IPAC and its advisory board in the electoral processes to be given a legal backing and involve all the parties and the necessary stakeholders to work in cohesion and ensure the next elections are conducted smoothly.