Go Full Electronic �EC Urged

An investment banker and a philanthropist, Kwaku Fredua-Agyeman, has expressed the hope that the outcome of the election petition case would help reform the Electoral Commission. Mr. Fredua-Agyeman suggested in an exclusive interview with Today that the EC as a means of controlling the electoral system must go �full electronic� where it will have a centralised location from where all registered voters can be traced during registration and voting. He added that this centralised system will not only avoid double-registration but also help the EC to record the results of ballots cast quickly and accurately. These reforms, he said, were necessary to bring about the ideal democracy that the country is seeking. �I hope the election petition becomes a catalyst for reforms of the flawed electoral system and that should also contribute significantly to the development of the country�s democracy�,� he said. Mr. Fredua-Agyeman, who is the Director of the Fredua-Agyeman, a non-governmental organisation (NGO,) was also the 2012 parliamentary candidate for the Progressive People�s Party (PPP) in the Akropong Constituency in the Eastern Region. The EC is the second respondent in the soon-to-be ruled upon electoral petition at the Supreme Court of Ghana; and a major bone of contention is the issue of alleged irregularities in the 2012 polls. According to him, the electoral system was flawed and needs a review and �without the reforms, not even I would succeed as an EC Boss.� He went on to assert that the election petition would not have occurred if the country had gone �full electronic� and also taken away the too much power at the polling stations. �The EC officer must also have a definite tenure to create competition in their stewardship as power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely�,� he said. In his opinion, over-crowding at polling stations was largely due to the presence of many polling agents representing parties. This, he said, enhances electoral malpractices adding that the country ought to take pragmatic steps to do away with that practice. Mr. Fredua-Agyeman indicated that the country had the financial resources to do that. �Considering the amount of money spent at the polling station level, I think it would be worth it if we call on all candidates for an election to contribute and help the country go electronic to sanitise the system we seek to enjoy from�.� He also advised Ghanaians to vote for competence the next time they go to the polls. �We should vote for candidates and not political parties. And also do away with the winner-takes- all system which does not allow candidates with passion for the people and could also change lives of the people do the job,� indicated Mr. Fredua-Agyeman. On the verdict of the Supreme Court, Mr. Fredua-Agyeman called for peace and encouraged that: �those who would accept it must accept it in good fate and those who would be against it should comment on the verdict in the right way as that can be a recipe for chaos.�