Professor Samuel Adu-Gyamfi, a political historian at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has expressed concern over what he describes as the “overly suspicious” and “disturbing” lack of trust that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has exhibited toward the Electoral Commission (EC).
This suspicion, according to him, is often exacerbated if the EC is perceived to have political affiliations.
Prof Adu-Gyamfi in an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM with Selorm Adonoo, stated that the main political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), tend to become highly antagonistic and suspicious of the EC when they are in opposition.
This, he said, is important for having an electoral commissioner who is seen as highly independent and capable of playing the role of a neutral referee to calm the nerves of the opposition party.
“It is therefore critical that around this time, we will have an electoral commissioner who will be seen to be highly independent and willing to play the referee mandate or role that will calm the nerves of the opposition party.
“I would say for the want of a right word that they should provide for the NDC, in particular, everything they demand so far as they are not inconsistent with the constitution and the laws that enjoin them to perform their duties as an independent arbiter of elections. Because the extent of doubt and the extent of the lack of trust that the NDC exhibit toward the Electoral Commission and the commissioner is overly suspicious and if you like, among other things glaringly disturbing,” he stated.
