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I will not begrudge you if you describe this as a speculation or instinct but it is clear now to me after analysing the new directive of the Electoral Commission (EC) about its proxy voting that, this seeks to fulfil something in the interest of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The question is what has been the proxy voting procedure in the past elections? I believe this question will help you understand my standpoint in this 2016 proxy voting being introduced by the EC.

Proxy voting is a form of voting whereby some members of a decision-making body may delegate their voting power to other members of the same body to vote in their absence, and/or to select additional representatives.

A person so designated is called a "proxy" and the person designating him or her is called a "principal".

Proxy appointments can be used to form a voting bloc that can exercise greater influence in deliberations or negotiations.

In the context of EC’s Proxy Voting, the accepted procedure backed by CI75 will enable the eligible voter to delegate someone to vote on his or her behalf when he or she is unable to be present during the Presidential and Parliamentary polls.

The CI75 backed process will ensure that when a voter assigns a proxy, that individual’s data is retrieved, reviewed and verified for the proxy to vote, after which the proxy would go to his or her own polling station to cast his or her own individual vote.

This is supposed to be the accepted process for the proxy voting but now the Head of Communications at the EC, Eric Dzakpasu on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show has said something different from the earlier explanation given.

The Head of EC Communications stated categorically that in some cases, the prospective proxy voter alone can pick up the application form on behalf of the applicant.

But this explanation does not surprise me at all and do you know why, this is preparing the grounds for rigging the elections for the ruling NDC.

I will explain, even though, LMVCA has come up with similar concerning but without giving detail benefit the NDC will derive from this proxy voting.

We can recall that a year ago, some people suspected to be members of the ruling NDC went round in some villages in the Ashanti Region and Eastern Region, collecting voters ID cards of unsuspecting Ghanaian electorates in exchange for money and I also recall that Chairman Wontumi, NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman made noise about this but nothing came out.

Now, I will explain to you the link between the event which happened a year ago and the new twist to the process of proxy voting which can allow the proxy voter to pick the application form on behalf of the proxy to cast the vote for him or her.

We also know that the NDC has promised to amass 1 million votes in the Ashanti Region and their agenda 50-50 votes in the Eastern Region; the two regions believed to be the stronghold of the largest opposition NPP.

This is how the NDC through the help of the EC will fulfil these strategies as the new twist of the proxy voting will enable the ruling NDC to pick the forms on behalf of the section of Ghanaian electorates whose voters’ ID cards have found their ways into the hands of the suspected NDC members a year ago.

The NDC will therefore vote in the 2016 elections for these unsuspecting electorates as proxy vote in Ashanti Region and Eastern Region and it will be possible because they have the polling station numbers on the voters ID cards they took from those in the villages.

If the NPP is not vigilant in this proxy voting exercise currently going on, then the ruling NDC will fulfil the agenda in Ashanti Region and in Eastern Region; thus, the NPP should out as the end of this exercise, the list of proxy voting will increase in Ashanti Region and Eastern Region.

Surprisingly, Proxy Voting was meant for Ghanaian missionaries and those on scholarship abroad to cast their votes. Also, the military who are on peacekeeping mission outside Ghana are given proxy voters to cast their votes on their behalf after they have given the names of the people they want as proxies.

For now, per EC’s directive, anybody within the country can exercise the proxy voting. Come to think of it, no election has ever recorded 100 percent turnout but it looks to me that Ghana might witness 100 turnout due to proxy voting and that is where the rigging will start from.

If we are craving for peaceful election in this year’s December 7 polls, then let’s work towards ensuring justice and fairness in the process leading the elections and there will be automatic peaceful elections.

Ghana is not at war and so those who are preaching peaceful election are missing the point. The issue at hand which those who are interested in peaceful election should concern about is fairness in the activities of the EC which all and sundry will agree is not assured.