The opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC will continue to mount pressure on the Electoral Commission (EC) for updates on the investigation into alleged malpractices recorded during the referenda on the creation of six new regions.
Videos of some persons allegedly thumb printing multiple ballot papers went viral on social media, with many suggesting that the acts took place during the referendum.
Although election observer group, CODEO said its 50 observers cannot attest to seeing such malpractices, it called on the EC to investigate the issue.
The EC in a response said it will not shield any of its staff found culpable in the act.
NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia told Citi News the EC appears not to be doing anything about that incident.
“Taking a look at what has happened with the view of making corrections is to improve the whole process and to ensure that in future those breaches are not repeated…It does not matter whether we have worked with the output of the referendum, we have to look at the processes because there are other referenda ahead of us.
“We are for instance going to do another referendum about the election of MMDCEs and so on. If you gloat over these breaches, other people will look at it and say this is a normal thing. Very soon, you will come to accept that the rule will become the exception and the exception will become the rule and you will create problems for our democracy so we still insist and we will pursue this matter.”
CODEO had called on the EC and the Police to investigate alleged malpractices during the referendum.
According to CODEO, although the elections took place in a ‘calm and peaceful’ electoral environment, there were a number of reports of alleged electoral anomalies during the process.
CODEO further called for the prosecution of persons found to have indulged in various alleged malpractices during the exercise.
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By: Marian Ansah & Kojo Agyeman/citinewsroom.com/Ghana