A political science lecturer at the political science department of the University of Ghana, Dr Seidu Alidu has expressed as unfortunate the posturing of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in their engagements.

According to him, “there appears to be some friction between the NDC and the EC as the two institutions have often accused the other one of wrong doing, which I think is avoidable, it is all down to what each party perceives about each other.

“If the NDC doesn’t trust the EC, the way the EC will behave towards them will be different. If the EC also thinks that the NDC doesn’t trust it and they are causing trouble, EC’s action towards the NDC will also change.

“We don’t have to wait till we get to the point of stalemate before we begin to address this kind of issue, the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) platform need to be sanitised to make it easier for stakeholders to engage without unnecessary scuffles.

“I think consultation, respect for divergent views and tolerance should be brought back to the IPAC platform. But the way the EC deals with all electoral stakeholders, it takes the collectivity to be able to make the country better.

“The EC boss ought to have been extra careful in dealing with stakeholders especially when it is an open secret that there is a seeming mistrust between her office and some of the stakeholders.

“I think it is not for the EC alone, but political parties should also know the EC has the responsibility and the role. And they should treat and respect the EC in discussions. But I think moving forward, we have to stop the intransigent position and dialogue.

“The EC boss has an alternative of doing her lawfully mandated business without having to consult stakeholders who may not trust her. Issues may escalate if they are not dealt with at the elementary stages. I think moving forward, the image and responsibility of the commission will be put in jeopardy if we do not build consensus and unit,” Dr Alidu warned.