The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) says it is high time the Electoral Commission (EC) listened to the call by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the forensic auditing of the 2024 voters’ register.
ChaLoG, with expertise in local governance, in a press statement autographed by Romeo Elikplim Akahoho, its Executive Secretary, and copied to The Chronicle, said “ChaLoG considers the calls by the NDC, Civil Society Organisations and the many well-meaning and peace-loving Ghanaians for a forensic audit to be conducted on the current Voters’ Register as very legitimate and must be fully-considered and implemented to salvage the fast-sinking image of the Commission.”
ChaLoG went on to explain that the clarion calls for a forensic audit “have become more pronounced, considering the number of errors the EC initially denied and later made a U-turn to concede the very same errors and later attempted an explanation on how those errors occurred.
“The very same EC had had to suspend or punish its own staff on the issues of illegal transfers, which the EC itself did not detect, but for the extreme vigilance of the NDC.”
Wondering how the EC could not detect the alleged illegality in the register but for the NDC to detect the alleged illegal vote transfers done by staff of the EC, asking whether there are other illegal transfers which the EC staff had done that the NDC had not yet detected, thus the reasons why the EC must allow for the forensic auditing.
ChaLoG mentioned conflict or stalemates, breakdown in relationships or communication, missed opportunities for finding mutually beneficial solutions, entrenchment of opposing positions and difficulty in finding resolutions or agreements with some political parties as the outcomes if “the intransigence of the EC is not checked.”
The statement said, “ChaLoG, therefore, wishes to, as a matter of urgency, impress on the EC Chairperson, Madam Jean Mensah, and her Commissioners to cut out the sheer intransigence being demonstrated and subject the Voters’ Register to a Forensic Audit by a reputed local or international Audit Firm.
“ChaLoG finally endorses the demonstration by the NDC and invites Ghanaians across the country to join any future demonstration, aimed at forcing the hands of the EC to subject the Voters’ Register to a forensic audit to safeguard the sanctity of the voters’ register ahead of the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections.”
