The refusal of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana to permit live coverage of its meeting with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) concerning the 2024 Provisional Voters Register (PVR) has raised critical questions about the institution’s commitment to transparency in the lead-up to the crucial 2024 general elections.
This decision, made in the face of NDC’s formal request for a live broadcast, has prompted sharp criticism from Dr Edward Omane Boamah, NDC’s Director of IT and Elections, who sees this as a deliberate attempt to shield the EC’s processes from public scrutiny.
Dr Boamah’s statement underscores the party’s firm opposition to the EC’s refusal, framing it as a blow to one of the fundamental pillars of democratic governance: transparency.
“The Electoral Commission has refused to grant NDC’s request to broadcast our meeting with them live today at 2 p.m. Why Should the Electoral Commission of Ghana be Afraid of Live Coverage of Today’s Meeting with the NDC at 2 p.m.?”.
Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Director of IT and Elections, NDC
The NDC’s concern stems from widespread issues surrounding the voter register, which has been the subject of intense debate, particularly over its integrity and accuracy in recent times.
The party fears that the EC’s reluctance to expose its processes to public scrutiny could undermine confidence in the entire electoral exercise.
Fear of Public Scrutiny?
The EC’s refusal to broadcast the meeting according to Dr Omane Boamah is an evasion of accountability, affirming that live coverage would have provided an unfiltered view of the deliberations, giving the public firsthand insight into how the electoral body is handling one of the most contentious aspects of the upcoming elections — the voter register.
He further underscored the NDC’s continuous call for a forensic audit of the register, voicing concerns over potential anomalies that could unfairly benefit the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Dr Omane Boamah noted the “loud silence” of the NPP amidst these concerns, hinting that the governing party may stand to “benefit illegally from the overt and covert manipulation of the register and the electoral process.”
Where are the Loud Voices Now?
In his remarks, Dr. Omane Boamah highlighted yet another troubling aspect of the current political climate: the “purchased silence” of once-vocal civil society figures and institutions.
According to him, these personalities, who were once at the forefront of calls for electoral accountability, are now noticeably quiet, a silence that he noted raises concerns about the impartiality of institutions meant to uphold democracy.
This absence of critical voices at a time when the stakes are so high in the view of the Dr Omane Boamah suggests a worrying trend where accountability is sacrificed for political expediency.
“We are serving notice that the NDC will not tolerate the unfolding daylight advance robbery/rigging of Election 2024 to materialize,” Dr. Boamah warned, underscoring the party’s readiness to resist any attempt to undermine the electoral process.
He expressed the NDC’s commitment to ensuring the information reaches the public, even without the EC’s cooperation, insisting that the NDC will act as the “broadcast outlets” for the meeting, reinforcing the party’s commitment to transparency, regardless of the hurdles placed in its path.
This determination not to “relent,” “falter,” or “rest” is indicative of the high stakes involved in ensuring the credibility of the 2024 elections.
Given the long-standing controversies between the EC and the opposition NDC, the refusal to allow live broadcasting of the upcoming meeting on the provisional voters register amplifies suspicions that the EC may not be acting impartially.
In a democracy, elections must not only be free and fair but also seen to be so. By blocking a key avenue for transparency, the EC risks eroding public trust in its neutrality at a time when trust is paramount
Dr. Boamah’s critique serves as a timely reminder that transparency is not optional in a democracy but essential.
As Ghana gears closer to the 2024 elections, all stakeholders, including the EC, must embrace the highest standards of openness to avoid casting doubt on the integrity of the process.
In a climate where public confidence in electoral institutions is already fragile, the EC’s refusal to allow live coverage may prove to be a strategic misstep, casting a long shadow over an election that many view as pivotal to Ghana’s democratic future.
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