Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, Dean of Academic Affairs at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College has commended the Electoral Commission (EC) for its apt delivery of election results.
According to him, although there were some glaring challenges and administrative mistakes, he justifiably noted that the EC is a human institution which has managed to deliver a good job.
Dr. Antwi Danso also lauded the Commission “because it has improved the electoral system tremendously”.
“The EC used only the money the state gave it for this year’s elections, we didn’t go begging the international community for a dime, and that’s very good”.
Doubling also as an International Affairs expert, he also explained that although the Commission has been beleaguered with so many antagonism, he reckons “the EC has not done anything untoward because there is a big improvement in the voting system”.
“Even before the 2020 Election, people were making it look like the EC has some sort of predetermined results, which is wrong. In fact, since 1992 we have vilified every EC Chairperson but this EC has remained focused and I doff my hat for her.
“The political parties must have faith in our institutions and that will go a long way to improve our democracy. Often we say we don’t have faith in the EC, the Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff and others, and it seems every time someone is in opposition, they don’t have faith in the state institutions, which is very bad for our democracy”.
Dr. Antwi-Danso stressed that, governmental appointments must be subjected to the constitution of the country, urging political parties contesting the results to do so via legal channels for redress.
“The appointment of the heads of these state institutions should not be coterminous with the life of the government so that they will continue in the next government. Their work should be dictated by the Constitution, not the government that appointed them and we, the citizens, must protect them.
“We’re making the EC Chairperson’s work so difficult, but I believe if anyone has issues with the work of the EC, you go to court and prove that the EC is not working according to the remit of the Constitution and not vilifying it”.
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Meanwhile, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) has condemned attacks on media houses by some members of political groups, following the conduct of the 2020 general elections.
Members of some political groups have criticized the media for allegedly doing the bidding of their opponents during the general election.
According to a release by the Association, the attacks on media houses are unfounded, given that they discharged their duties independently during the elections without interference from the Electoral Commission and political parties.
“The attention of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) has been drawn to the series of politically motivated physical and verbal attacks on its members by some political groups in the aftermath of the 2020 elections.
“It should be brought to the attention of these groups that just as they believe to have the right to exist and exercise their freedom to express themselves as citizens of Ghana, so do media practitioners also have the right to exist and carry out their mandated duties as enshrined in the Constitution of the fourth republic of Ghana. Article 162 of the Constitution insulates the media to disseminate and exchange information without hindrance.
“We deem any attack on a media house for carrying out its mandate or a journalist for responding to duty call in the interest of Ghana, as a sheer act of ghetto styled thuggery and baseless criminal cowardice”.
