A civil society organisation (CSO), Mass Action Committee (MAC), has stated that a recent comment made by Former President John Mahama that he will reject the outcome of a flawed election is contradictory.
Mr Mahama contended that the timing of the compilation of a new voters’ register barely six months to the general election would not allow the participation of all eligible voters.
It would be recalled that the former president during a flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) 28th anniversary cautioned that the party would not accept any flawed results in the forthcoming general election.
His comment follows the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 general election.
But speaking at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, the Executive Secretary of MAC, Atik Mohammed, said: “If Mr Mahama is contending of flawed elections, then the EC deemed it to compile a new voters’ register since his comment was made at a time he and his party are openly making calls to resist the compilation of a new voters’ register, then we’re inclined to conclude his assertion is inspired by that.
“If that is true, then we wish to submit that, the fear of a “flawed election” reinforces the urgent need for a new voters’ register because a flawed election is not free, fair, credible and transparent, however, objective and patriotic citizens concede the register and the BVMS in their current form have some problems that tend to undermine the credibility and sustainability of the register.
“A new voters’ register affords us an opportunity to solve these problems and enhance the credibility of the roll, by enhancing the credibility of the voters’ register, we are minimising the probability of a flawed election, those afraid of a flawed election should join hands with all Ghanaians to make the upcoming exercise successful, we also condemn the verbal attacks on officials of the commission, the use of violence to disrupt the registration exercise and we find such utterances reprehensible and unacceptable,” Mr Mohammed bemoaned.
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR
