Former Chair of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan has spoken about the 2016 elections for the first time since the exercise was conducted on December 7, 2016.
The exercise was the first to be held in the Fourth Republic without his supervision.
Speaking on the sidelines of a STAR-Ghana-organised event on Wednesday, March 15 to review the 2016 elections, Dr Afari Gyan did not mince words about the success of last year’s general elections. “I think the elections went reasonably well,” he stated, “I thought they would go reasonably well.”
The elections were the first to be supervised by Dr Afari Gyan’s successor, Charlotte Osei.
Transposition errors
Aside numerous legal tussles between the EC and some political parties, whose presidential candidates were initially disqualified prior to the exercise, results were said to have been delayed. The delay is said to have influenced the calling of results by the two major political parties, ahead of the official one by the Commission.
But Dr Afari Gyan jumped to the defence of his successor, saying: “When elections have been done, it takes time to compile results and results must be compiled very, very carefully.”
He told TV3 about events in The Gambia, where Former President Yahya Jammeh retracted an initial concession to demand a recount of votes. Dr Afari Gyan, who chaired the Commission for over two decades, said the issue in The Gambia had to do with transposition errors.
“This tells you that it is important to allow the Electoral Commission to go over the election results again, again and again. “We shouldn’t rush the Commission to declare election results. We should allow them to do a checking and rechecking.”
Source: 3news.com
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Mr.former electoral commissinner aare saying yahya jammeh asked for a recount? ??,kindly check ur facts
Mr Gyan please spare us wheathet the election went well or not, you marred your long workreputation at the EC on your last term by rigging! Good name is better than anything on earth. Generations will come to know what your last term in office was. Have you noticed you ve not been re-organized not even in Africa not talk of the world after office.
Please Mr Man just keep ur cool and chill out for ur last general election was a disgrace. U deliberately stole the election for one party which the 2016 results exposed u big time. Some of us don't want to even hear ur name mentioned anywhere in Ghana here, God has kept the country together till now without ur satanic influence.
You rigged the 2012 ELECTIONS for John Mahama and you taught Charlotte could do same but our God spoke on the day. But be careful because very soon we will petition the President to look into what happened in the 2012 election because we believe NANA AKUFFO ADDO never lost that election. There are C'RIMINALS at the ELECTORAL COMMISSION OFFICE.
No Wonder , I totally agree with your statement that no one has put the electoral commissioner a test . I strongly belive that Chrlotte Osei does not deceive to be an EC boss for TWO reason. She has been cought red handed for being an EC boss and a board member of the insurance commision . Also, she lied to the whole world that there was an over voting (she was very emphatic )in 250 polling stations in Ashanti region and that is why should not release the results on time . However, at the time of announcing the results ( Off course her boss has conceded the humiliating defeat)she never mensioned this over voting issues . She caanot never be trusted to handle this sentitive office of ours and all efforts should be made to remove her .
What are transposition errors? You couldn't even define OVER VOTING. Don't confuse us with words you can not define when we put you in the witness box.
My dear father, do you that “it is important to allow the Electoral Commission to go over the election results again, again and again. “We shouldn’t rush the Commission to declare election results. We should allow them to do a checking and rechecking". WHAT DID YOU SAID IN 2012 during the Election? You were told to delay the results declaring for two (2) hours but you told NPP that "THEY CAN GO TO COURT" while you declare your results. Were you then presurized by JDM Government? Or NOKO FIOO you were given. Ghanaians thank the Almighty God for our second Independence on 7th December, 2016 from the Wicked Hands of Evil DOERS.
Shame on you, all the loop holes you used to rig elections have now been blocked by the NPP. Thanks to the 2012 petition. Your successor tried all she could but could not find a way to rig this elections in favour of the NDC.
It is no news for Dr Afari Gyan to express satisfaction over to conduct of the December 7th elections in Ghana. The whole problem is that no one has put the current electoral commissioner to test. From the compilation of the voter register, the logo scandal, the reopening for those who had just attained 18 years to register, deletion of those who registered with national health insurance cards as ordered by the Supreme court, cancellation of names of presidential aspirants, the direct confrontations the commission waged on opposition parties the many other court cases she lost and caused financial losses to the state and many others were clearly avoidable incidents. The lady just neglected to use her common sense on many occasions, which boil down to incompetence. The unwarranted delay was because no due diligence was followed. How long does the electoral regulation stipulate for results to be declared? Her posture did not invoke trust and respect, traits that are necessary for confidence building. The main test will be if she is arranged before the court to prove or defend her competence. I doubt what the NDC members on the appointment committee of parliament would brand her if she appeared before them as an NPP candidate for appointment regarding her attitude and recalcitrance. Clearly, Ghana has better women and men to man the commission to the admiration of the whole world. Replacement of the commissioner and her two deputies is a must so legal means should be used to effect the inevitable change to save mother Ghana from future catastrophe.