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The Institute of Economic Affairs, under its Election Reform
Project is calling on the Electoral Commission to define and publish
specific electoral activities to be executed ahead of the 2016
elections.
The proposal is part of electoral reforms suggested at an IEA
workshop with representatives of the political parties and other
stakeholders.
A report authored by Dr Ransford Gyampo a Senior Fellow at the
Institute of Economic Affairs which captured the sentiments of
participants at the workshop, in part said, there is the need for the EC
to “publish well-defined programmes with timelines to ensure certainty
in the implementation of its activities.”
Crucially, the report further admonished the EC not to wait till the last hour before implementing its activities in a rush.
Dr Gyampo cited some electoral activities conducted by the EC
ahead of the 2012 elections but which appeared to have been conducted in
haste, thereby heightening political tension and mistrust.
The electoral activities: “include Biometric Voter
Registration, Exhibition of Voters’ Register, Review and Creation of
additional forty-five constituencies and seats in Parliament, etc etc.
Needless to say, these activities undoubtedly overstretched the capacity
of the Electoral Commission to successfully undertake and accomplish
all its pre-election programmes and still organize the 2012 General
Elections successfully. But why should all these activities be
undertaken at the time when key actors in our electoral process,
particularly the Political Parties were very busy touring all parts of
the country campaigning? Why should we sit down and wait till the
eleventh hour?” the report noted.
“Things done in a rush are susceptible to costly mistakes. Indeed
such crash activities are a recipe for distrust, tension and the raising
of unnecessary alarms over issues that could ideally pass without many
qualms from the key stakeholders,” the report indicated.
The IEA therefore reminded the EC, to as a matter of urgency, publish
with timelines its programmes and execute it expeditiously without
delay.
[Credit: Myjoyonline]
