Former Electoral Commissioner Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has advocated for cooperation between the Judiciary and the Electoral Commission to provide judges with ongoing electoral education.
During this year’s Constitution Day public speech, Dr Afari-Gyan mentioned that certain judges’ lack of electoral expertise contributed to “unsound” election decisions.
“A judge once admitted to me that, when rendering a public decision, he was ignorant of an election-related matter. rejected,” he said.
As Afari-Gyan put it, “There can be no election if there are no candidates, and there cannot be democracy if there are no voters.” She emphasised the need for free and fair elections for both effective administration and the strengthening of democracy.
Speaking about elections, he said that election petitioners who lost in court should likewise face consequences and that everyone involved in electoral violations should face consequences to discourage others.
To have fruitful conversations on electoral concerns, Dr. Afari-Gyan advised political parties to participate in the Inter-Party Advisory Committee. However, they should be aware that the Commission is not required to accept their choices.
“The Chair of the Electoral Commission is in a stronger position to defend citizens’ rights. With the cooperation of political parties, our electoral system is resilient,” he declared.
Before the December elections, he asked the Electoral Commission to guarantee that all procedures were followed, including voter registration, collation, and result announcement. He also suggested that the commission establish regional collation centres to further assure transparency.
Concerned about the rising number of violent elections, he instructed the security services to deal with those who commit these crimes.
According to Mr. Joe Ghartey, the Essikado Ketan Member of Parliament, democracy is the finest type of governance for facilitating a peaceful handover of power.
He stated that the nation should take its time reviewing the constitution and hold frank discussions to implement better changes.
He was against violence during elections that was encouraged by the state and believed that chiefs needed to be part of the local government structure.
Mrs Marietta Brew Former Attorney General Appiah Oppong backed the constitutional revision movement.
She asked the Electoral Commission to strive towards gaining the confidence of everyone, expressing concern over the Commission’s alleged damaged reputation.
