Oforikrom EC assures parties of free and fair elections | Politics

The Oforikrom Municipal Office of the Electoral Commission has assured all stakeholders, especially political parties, of free, transparent and fair elections as Ghana prepares for the December elections.

City Manager Ms Matilda Kwarteng gave this assurance, saying the EC was committed to overseeing a credible election while engaging political parties in every step of the process.

Speaking at a meeting of the Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) in Oforikrom, the Director of the Electoral Commission stressed that political parties must comply with electoral laws, saying that disregard for these laws could lead to avoidable unrest.

The committee, assembled by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), is composed of representatives of political parties, traditional and religious leaders, youth groups and security agencies.

The Committee aims to provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss emerging issues in order to proactively address them ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Ms Kwarteng said there should be no place for violence in the country's politics after having come so far with multi-party democracy, which continues to be a shining example in the sub-region.

She urged political parties to prioritise training of their polling agents to ensure they understand the electoral processes and avoid creating confusion at polling stations.

She believes that party representatives have the right to request a recount at the polling station if they are not satisfied with the vote count. She added that a request for a recount at the polling station will not be granted if it was not made at the polling station.

She explained that if an employee was still not satisfied after a recount at the polling station, he or she would fill out a form that would allow a recount at the polling station.

The city manager called on all those involved to fulfill their respective duties to ensure peaceful voting in the constituency.

Chief Superintendent Fredrick Hammond, the head of the city's police force, explained the Public Order Act to participants and stressed that political parties must cooperate with the police in organizing events such as rallies and marches.

He said giving advance notice to the police would not only ensure their safety but also prevent possible clashes between their planned activities and those of other political parties.

Rosina Owoo, the City Director of NCCE, spoke on how vote buying, misinformation, disinformation and religious intolerance threatened peace during the elections, stressing that perpetrators must refrain from being sponsors of violence.

She said it is a collective responsibility of stakeholders to speak out against issues that could lead to electoral violence less than four months before the 2024 elections.

The phenomenon of politicians buying their way into power undermines the quality of leadership, she said, and encourages voters to reject politicians who try to influence them with money and other incentives.

She said the NCCE, in line with its mandate to educate Ghanaians on their civic duties, would continue to engage all stakeholders to work for peace ahead of the elections.

Nana Opoku Agyemang, the chief of Ayeduase, who chaired the meeting, commended the NCCE for setting up the committee, which he said could help promote peace in the community even beyond the election.