You’re incompetent – Akamba tells EC boss

The National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress, Joshua Akamba, has described proposal of the Electoral Commission to transport new eligible voters from hard-to-reach areas to the limited registration centres as unsustainable and exposes the incompetence of the EC boss.

Opposition political parties have expressed their disapproval of the plans to conduct a limited voters’ registration exercise in district offices of the Electoral Commission against the conventional practice of holding it in electoral areas easily accessible from all parts of the country.

The opposition NDC which has been the loudest at the forefront of the condemnation has argued that the arrangement will end up disenfranchising voters who might not have the means to commute to the district offices of the electoral commission.

The chair of the electoral commission in an interview with journalists on the premises of parliament indicated that the Electoral Commission is conducting an assessment after which it will consider working with Civil Society and political parties to “provide the necessary transport where you find that the district office is very far off from the people.”

Responding to this proposal on the Ultimate Breakfast Show, the organiser of the NDC contended that the option provides no solution to the fundamental issues of law and access raised by the party.

Mr Akamba told host Julius Caesar Anadem, “it is just to tell you how incompetent she is and how she doesn’t understand how our elections work in this country.”

Mr Akamba wondered why on one breadth the electoral commission will complain of its inability to provide equipment to widen its scope but will be comfortable providing transportation for people living in the hinterlands to take advantage of the exercise.

Questioning the viability of such an action, he asked, “why would we have to spend this amount of money to say that let’s go convey the people and how many people do you think will leave their homes and agree to come in a bus and has it even happened in this country before?”

Mr Akamba noted that inasmuch as the NDC was ready to collaborate with the Electoral Commission to superintend voter and election operations in the country, the party will not support any move that will “jeopardize the peace and stability of the country.”