Professor Edward Van Gyampo, an associate professor at the University of Ghana, has asked the Electoral Commission (EC) to deal with certain teething voting challenges that persistently occur during the conduct of every general election in the country.
“There are certain teething voting challenges that persistently occur during the conduct of every election. With every election that is conducted, you will still find people who could not find their names on the voters roll… every election and I think it is not the best.
“I think as the commission improves its activities and mandate, they should be looking at some of these issues.”
Speaking on an Accra based radio station, he noted that, there were some challenges with regards to the special voting exercise especially the issue of some special voters, having their names missing from the list.
He added that, it was not a good thing to write home about and urged that, measures should be put in place to curb this occurring incident every voting period.
He further said that, the Electoral Commission in the years to come, must find a way to ensure that, those who render essential services, are all allowed to vote since they will be on the frontline as against what happened in the current special voting exercise where some were not allowed due to the absence of their names in the list.
Professor Gyampo also commended the Electoral Commission for ensuring a smooth special voting exercise and process on Tuesday 1st December 2020 .
He further said that, the Electoral Commission had to be commended for the peaceful process of the elections adding that, it is his hope that the attitude and the same process is maintained come Monday December 7.
Touching on the COVID-19 safety measures at the various polling centres, he revealed that, some voters were turned away for not putting on face masks.
He said although the constitution has laws, we as citizens should not also abuse that fact by doing what we find pleasing.
“Yes, the constitution guarantees our fundamental right to vote, and I don’t think the constitution anticipated this COVID-19 pandemic. When you have the fundamental right to vote, rights must always go with responsibility. There is no human rights under the sun that is absolute and unfettered and so, the fact that you have the right to vote, does not give you the license to spread diseases to the people who are innocent.”
“The fact that you have the right to vote, does not confer on you the right to spread your COVID to other people.”
He then applauded the Electoral Commission for their intervention as well, for distributing facemasks at a point in time to citizens at various polling stations, who came without any but added that, he would have wished for the people to be turned away for not having them in other to deter others from doing same.
