The Electoral Commission's announcement that the declaration of results of the forthcoming presidential polls could be stopped and a recount initiated if the results were too close has been roundly booed and met with stiff opposition by some of the political parties.
Mrs Charlotte Osei, the EC Chairperson hinted in an interview with the BBC's Akwasi Sarpong last week that a recount of ballots will be ordered when the results are too close to call.
According to her, the commission was expecting to declare the results within 48 and 72 hours after polling ends on December 7 without failure, and that the only thing that may delay or may call for recount is when the result was too close.
She added that the recount will be done to ensure that the wrong person is not declared winner, and to take away every form of doubt in the minds of Ghanaians over the final results.
“Our elections in Ghana tend to be very close. If it is so close, it might be prudent to stop, inform everyone, do a total recount and be sure of what we are announcing finally,” Mrs Osei said in an interview with BBC Africa which was carried live via Facebook on Thursday.
But her position on recount of results has been challenged hours after it went viral.
A leading member of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), Charles Owusu argues the EC Chair's character and activities exposes her hidden motives that "she's up to some political mischief" and so", the party will check her every move in this electioneering year.
He vowed that the PPP will not allow for any recounting of the results and warn Madam Charlotte Osei to beware of the repercussions that may accompany her and the Commission's attempts to recount the results.
Contributing to a panel discussion on PeaceFM's "Kokrokoo", Charles Owusu stated emphatically that "Madam Charlotte Osei is joking. There’s too much play on her eyes but Ghana is a serious country. I sometimes ask if there are leaders in Ghana…It’s not the Electoral Commission that calls for recounting. We will not allow that thing to happen in this country. We won’t allow it."
He stressed that "there won’t be any recounting in this country. If there will be recounting, it will be done at where we’re collating the figures together. It won’t be after we’ve declared the elections at the constituency level that we will do the recounting. Change is coming. It will like a dream to Madam Charlotte Osei.”
Also speaking to the issue, the Director of Elections of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Martin Agyei Mensah Korsah asserted that the commission has no power to call for a recount.
In a radio interview on Accra based Neat FM, he pointed that it was only a candidate or a polling agent who could call for a recount; and noted that, even with that, it has to be done at the polling station or at the constituency collation centre and that cannot be more than two times.
“Maybe the commissioner was referring to the summaries,” he said and added that it was "not the duty of the EC to call for a recount since the law does not permit that, its only candidates or polling agents who can call for a recount. We don’t really understand what she means by that.”
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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@KOFI... Is a big question you're asking o'. Where is Madam Chairs husband that his wife is DISGRACING the "OSEI" family. I don't believe her HUSBAND is called OSEI because those people are DISCIPLINE. Please where is Madam Charlotte husband? Please we the OSEI family wanna meet him. We don't wanna be part of the likes of WOYOME,MOULD IDDRISU, etc.
who and where is charlotte osei's husband or how did she come by the name 'osei' does charlotte osei have kids? I wonder why ghanaians are not asking these questions
Do you really thinks we as voltarians,,who works in togo,,can be even stopped by someone from casting our votes...hahahaha.Madam charlotte osei,,should focost ,to not allow double voting in ashanti region,,,and if any one should vote one npp can never beat the ndc,.Can you lmagine me coming from sovie in togo to cast my vote at apklavi,,and a so called npp agent tries to prevent me ,,a son of volta,,,mawu ,,,.We voltarians no matter the situation will go for an incompetent gonja,,than an arrogant,,,sick,,lawless,,belly full,,,non achiever,,,enemy of the state.
What ever the EC does will not make any difference ; the current court initiative will be resolved by the SC ; for me it is too late now for any dirty tricks per Mrs Osei ; The NPP and other parties are watching the EC like a hawk and will not allow any dirty games besides the plan is to declare Jon Mahama as the winner quickly before any complaint but this will not help the NDC ; they cannot miss write what is on the pink sheet besides voters should be searched so they do not stuff the ballot boxes with foreign materials as was done in the 2012 elections because reliable information indicates the NDC have printed duplicate copies of the voting cards which they give to NDc voters so the can vote in double numbers because eventually the voter cars=ds will be more that the names on the voting register; THE NPP MUST BE VIGILANT : BESIDES THE NDC ARE PLANNING TO BRING A NUMBERS OF VOTERS FROM BURKINA AND TOGO : AGAIN NPP SHOULD WATCH OUT !!!!!!!!AND NOT FORGET THAT THE ELECTION SHOULD BE WON AT THE POLLING BOOTH NOT THE COURTS .
what is wrong with this EC woman at all I think its time the peace council should call her to other or else one day we find our self in some one country.
Ghana too matter dey ooo. So Elections is yet to be held and we are arguing about recount which can go for any of the people shouting over the roof. Political jokers. We need a credible result so anything that will bring that, I am in full support. #ghanafirst
Change is coming !!!!
EC's Covert Agenda Exposed The Electoral Commission is scheming to run the Parliamentary Elections before the Presidential election. Our credible information is that the Electoral Commission is conniving with the the NDC to run the parliamentary elections separately from the presidential one amidst with their own surveys that show that they are likely to loose the election. In their own confidential report submitted by their students group, TEIN-NDC accros the country, the NDC is likely to get not more than 43.78% of the total votes. It however, reported that they are likely to win more seats for their parliamentary candidates , hence the plan to put more money in the parliamentary elections to win more seats which will be used as yardstick to convince electorates to vote for President Mahama, since they have then win majority in seats in parliament. Our source indicates that on 3rd October, 2016, there were two meetings between some top officers of the electoral commision and president Mahama himself together with the Chief of Staff, where they planned to use what the EC is doing now -"reject their nominations and let them go to court so we use court cases to push the presidential election furthur"- according to our source. As we speak the EC had almost done with the printing of the parliamentary ballot papers. they will soon announce that due to the pending court cases concerning the presidential election, they would go ahead and run the parliamentary election. This is their game plan even though it is unconstitutional.