EC Is Allowing Doubt About Its Neutrality To Seep Into The Nation - NPP

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says the Electoral Commission (EC) is allowing doubt about its neutrality to seep into the nation following the ECs determination to create additional 45 new constituencies with some four months to a general election. The NPP posits that by overseeing the election of Parliamentary candidates "in the as yet non-existent� constituencies, the E.C has presided over an illegality. The opposition party believes as Caesar�s wife, the EC, must be seen to be above suspicion. In a statement issued today and signed by its National Chairman, Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, the NPP wondered why the EC is so bent on creating 45 constituencies when they do not yet exist. �Why then are the Electoral Commission�s officers illegally conducting primaries for the N.D.C. in the as yet non-existent constituencies? Why are they seeking to give unfair advantage to the N.D.C at the expense of the law abiding parties?...The Chairman of the Electoral Commission has categorically charged all parliamentary candidates to be in their constituencies to monitor and help with the smooth conduct of the exhibition of the voter�s register. He has stated that he does not want anyone coming to him afterwards to make any complaint about the register...Why then is he putting pressure on the parliamentary candidates to abandon their constituency duties and be in parliament during the exhibition in order to get his C.I. passed?� he quizzed. The statement said the EC and its Commissioner, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan are sending strong signals of potentially destructive bias and urged them not allow themselves to be seen as �dancing� to anyone�s tune. �We call on all well-meaning Ghanaians to realize that this is not the N.P.P. crying wolf but bringing to your notice, for your action, something that could disturb our peace....Let everyone tell the Electoral Commission and its Chairman that they cannot play �Had I known� with our peace and security. We do not need to gamble with our lives and our safety,� the statement read.