EC must guarantee electorate’s voting rights – Dr. Akwetey

Executive Director of Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey has demanded of the Electoral Commission to assure Ghanaians that they will not be denied of voting rights, no matter the challenges that may confront it on voting day.

Dr. Akwetey believes such a move by the EC could avoid the situation where people will get unnecessarily anxious, if they do not get the opportunity to cast their ballots on December 7th 2012, due to technical failure.

He was speaking on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM Friday, in connection with comments attributed to the EC Chairman Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan to the effect that, voting will be suspended at any polling station should the biometric verification machine break down.

Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan told Editors on Thursday that, to maintain the credibility of the polls and reduce the possibility of unnecessary confrontation, voting should be suspended where the verification system breaks down.

Dr. Akwetey said to obviate the unnecessary panic among electorate in areas where a machine may break down which could lead to suspension of voting, the EC must explain to Ghanaians, their votes will still be counted should they be made to vote on a different date apart from December 7th.

In a related development, Prof. Akwetey has advised the public to take a stand against electoral violence and the injustices that are perpetrated by followers of political parties during and after elections.

He noted that “Electoral violence, impunity and injustice are major threats to peaceful elections…Time to tell the nation impunity and injustice will not be tolerated here”.

He suggested the use of mobile phones and other electronic gadgets to record events that negatively affect the polls and present them to the police for investigations for prosecution where necessary.