Audio Attachment:Listen to Hon Namburr Berrick in an interview with Peace Fm's Kwami Sefa-Kayi on the "kokrokoo" programme. |
With a little over two weeks to go for the crunch delegates� congress that will see the election of a flagbearer to lead the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2012 General Elections, the Nana Konadu 2012 Campaign Team says they are concerned and worried by the decision of the NDCs Electoral Committee to make delegates vote region by region and have threatened to halt the process by seeking legal redress.
Nana Konadu�s Campaign Team believes it is an infringement on the sanctity of the democratic process to inspect the serial numbers of voters after their votes have been cast.
In a statement signed by its Campaign Coordinator, Namburr Berrick, which was addressed to the party�s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah and copied to the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Nana Konadu�s Team warned that if their views continue to be ignored �we will not hesitate to seek legal redress�.
�Any votes undertaken regionally would be unacceptable for the simple reason that it would be unfair for any candidate to know which region voted for him or her. This would result in the intimidation of the Regions that would be concerned about the repercussions of voting for a particular candidate. These actions are contrary to democracy and will not foster national unity. Voting should not be carried out regionally; ballot boxes should not be identified by Region,� the statement said.
Read Below the full statement by the Nana Konadu 2012 Campaign Team.
The General Secretary
NDC Headquarters
Accra
Greater Accra Region
Dear Sir,
RE: Electoral Process for NDC Congress, 8th -11th July 2011
It has come to the attention of the Nana Konadu 2012 Campaign Team that the NDC Electoral Committee has decided to organise the elections for the NDC Congress on July 8 � 11, 2011 so that delegates would be made to vote region by region. This is inclusive of the bias and intimidation complained of by the Nana Konadu 2012 Campaign Team to the General Secretary of the NDC.
There are two candidates running for the position of flag-bearer and each is entitled to a polling agent to protect his or her interests and ensure free and fair elections devoid of intimidation and harassment. Any votes undertaken regionally would be unacceptable for the simple reason that it would be unfair for any candidate to know which region voted for him or her. This would result in the intimidation of the Regions that would be concerned about the repercussions of voting for a particular candidate. These actions are contrary to democracy and will not foster national unity.
Voting should not be carried out regionally; ballot boxes should not be identified by Region.
Furthermore, it is an infringement on the sanctity of the democratic process to inspect the serial numbers of voters after their votes have been cast and more so requiring the voters to exhibit their votes to others. We are asking for proper spacing of voters and ballot boxes as required by the Electoral Commission.
As the campaign team for the only other candidate in this election, if our views continue to be ignored we will not hesitate to seek legal redress.
We take this opportunity to call on the Electoral Commission to stand firm and ensure a free, fair and democratic election devoid of any acts of intimidation.
Yours Sincerely,
Hon Namburr Berrick
(Campaign Coordinator)
CC: Chairman, National Democratic Congress
CC: Chairman, Electoral Commission
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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