Audio Attachment: Listen to Kwesi Pratt Jnr. |
The High Court in Accra presided by His Lordship Justice Anthony K. Yeboah on Monday ordered the Electoral Commission (EC) to implement the Representation of the People Amendment Act (ROPAA).
The court has given the EC 12 months to ensure the implementation of the law. ROPAA is to empower eligible Ghanaians abroad to vote in national elections but successive governments have failed to implement it since its passage in 2006.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Anthony Yeboah directed the EC to begin arrangements towards implementation of the law and further asked the Commission to cause Parliament to approve funding for the project.
Addressing the issue on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Seasoned journalist Kwesi Pratt noted some initial difficulties he forsees in the implementation of the ROPAA.
According to him, the Act is fraught with several challenges that need to be noted down; some of which would almost render the project impracticable.
He raised concerns about the effective policing of the country's electoral laws in foreign countries where Ghanaian nationals are dwelling.
He asked how possible the laws of Ghana could become applicable in countries in Europe and others if Ghanaians in the diaspora are to participate in national elections.
“Whether or not Ghanaian laws are applicable in Washington, what can the EC do about it? Will EC make legislation in Washington so that Ghanaian laws will become applicable in Washington?" he questioned.
He also cited an instance where elections in Ghana have recorded several electoral malpractices and wondered if the EC could effect arrests or roll out punitive measures to any person or group of persons who engage in electoral malfeasance abroad should ROPAA be implemented.
“How do you arrest him? How do you punish him? How do you ensure the sanctity of the elections in those places in terms of the application of the law?”
Mr. Pratt also questioned the ability of the EC to ensure that every Ghanaian abroad is able to vote in the national elections.
He added it is very significant that the EC ensures the concept of universal suffrage which gives right to every eligible voter to cast his or her vote without any electoral barriers saying “rights are not unfettered. Rights are not unlimited and so on. We should take a critical look at it and do it well for Ghana to progress”.
To Mr. Pratt, it is only when the EC is able to address the challenges highlighted above that the ROPAA can be effective.
But NPP Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, Dr. Okoe Boye disagrees with Mr. Pratt because to him, the challenges can be addressed as the EC rolls out ROPAA.
His belief is that until the EC implements the law, what particular challenges have to be addressed and the right of Ghanaians abroad to vote will continually be infringed upon.
Also speaking on Kokrokoo, Dr. Okoe Boye stated emphatically that "those who oppose an innovation today can be practitioners tomorrow. It is only a matter of time…I see 4 years - 8 years’ time when you tell someone that at a point in time we made arguments about voting outside, the person will not believe you because it would have in practice; so smooth, so effective”.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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uselesss ediot all he knows is to oppose everything that enhances the development of the country, ROPAL would sink his pet party (NDC) in opposition that is his worry
DID ANYBODY REALLY EXPECT ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM THIS CHARLATAN? THE ONE THING I CAN GIVE TO THIS GUY IS THAT HE HAS BEEN CONSISTENT MAKING INCOHERENT AND SHALLOW ARGUMENTS ABOUT EVERYTHING. HE IS ILLOGICAL, INFANTILE AND ABSOLUTELY IRRATIONAL IN HIS ARGUMENTS. HE IS CONSUMED WITH ENVY AND HATRED FOR THE N.P.P AND NANA ADDO IN PARTICULAR. HE IS UNPRINCIPLED, SELFISH, AND A COMPLETE NATION WRECKER. I LISTENED TO HIS FUMBLING AND INCOHERENT ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUE AND WHEN THE HOST TRIED TO GUIDE HIM , HE COVERED HIS CONFUSION WITH HIS USUAL EMOTIONAL BLACKMAIL TANTRUMS," O, CAN'T YOU ALLOW ME TO MAKE MY SUBMISSION" THE MAN IS ABSOLUTELY BONKERS.
Pratt is a ***barred word***. But where and how do the embassy staff vote? This is somebody who benefited from Woyome's gargantuan loot and who is afraid of his misdeed. ***barred word***.
Kwesi Pratt can only raise questions and highlight problems. He doesn't seem to be able to think beyond problems. Does he think the problems he's raising is beyond the thinking abilities of Ghanaians to solve them? May be that's how far he can think but for the rest of us we are capable of solving those problems or challenges he's raising. Let Pratt know: the court has ruled. If the EC staff think it's beyond them to do, let them quit their offices. There are people who can do it.
So Uncle Pratt, you never knew every Embassy is designated as foreign soil. The moment you enter American Embassy in Ghana, you are in America. That is Diplomacy. Give us a better excuse.
Peacefmonline, why do you always expose the crass incompetenze of this fellow. Perhaps, he should have found out first how those African countries that allow their citizens living in the diaspora to vote in national elections do it. Then also find out how come it has taken the Ghana EC so long to figure out how to operationalize the ROPAA. Just like our EC, Pratt is a lazi and shallow blow-hard, that has been given undeserved airtime to pollute the airwaves. Its about time his effusions are curtailed. He adds no value to the national discourse.
Sometimes we have to sympathise with Kwesi Pratt. You see, he was one of the people who started political struggles with Kufour, Nana Akufo-Addo and others. Along the line, he became confused and left that group and joined JJ Rawlings and the revo people. Now he is in limbo. JJ became president, then Kufour and now Akufo-Addo. All of them refused to recognise him. He finds it difficult to accept this and has vowed to criticize anything initiated by these three men. I think he will lick his fingers in private and curse his stars. But people, he will continue to do these things, no matter what.
LET ME TELL MY FRIEND KWASI PRATT THAT HE IS TOO KNOWN THROUGH HIS WARDS CPP IS NO MORE.HAS EC INFORMED HIM THEY CANNOT IS GHANA THE ONLY COUNTRY TRYING TO DO IT.WOYOME MONEY PLUS BUS STEALING MONEY CAN DO IT.SHAME UNTO YOU
But who is kwesi pratt?
It seems my uncle Mr Pratt is deliberately pretending unaware of all the meetings that the IPAC had had concerning this ROPAL issue or he doesn't know genuinely. Mr Pratt should kindly contact Mr Kwawu Baako to educate him on all that has taken place some of which the judgement stated. It hurts me to see my uncle sinking very fast when it comes to discussing issues without partisan. Uncle, please leave the politics to the politicians and save the little respect that is left of you for the generations coming to benefits from your depth of knowledge. It looks like you are now one of the NDC communicators. Look at your brother Kwaku Baako who speaks against both the NDC and NPP if any of them goes wrong. This is my passionate appeal to you.