The National House of Chiefs is unhappy over the Electoral Commission’s (EC) purported refusal to meet with them over concerns about the compilation of the new voters register.
The chiefs are accusing the EC of refusing to honour its invitation after some political parties petitioned the House over the matter.
The Vice President of the National House of Chiefs, Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII, in an interview with Citi News, said the posture of the commission was worrying.
“Other parties petitioned the house because of this hullabaloo. We heard from them [parties] and we said that then we need to hear from her [EC] so that we can also see how best we can be advised.”
“…if you are not able to honour our invitation let someone come from any of her branches to Kumasi and inform Nananom, that she can not make it, but none of that happened. As a matter of fact, we don’t know why she [Jean Mensa] doesn’t want to see us or avail herself to the house, whatever it is, we have no idea.”
Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII further urged all political parties to prioritize peace and unity, before during and after the elections.
“We want every Ghanaian to comport him or herself in a good manner. If they do not want [the new register, then that is up to them]but that is the decision of the government. But I also want to ask politicians to conduct themselves well because sometimes a party will say it will not all and there will be a whole lot of things.”
Ensure that no one is disenfranchised
The National House of Chiefs in an earlier statement asked the EC to ensure that no Ghanaian is disenfranchised ahead of the 2020 General Elections.
The Chiefs in a statement bemoaned the EC’s failure to honour their invitation to dialogue, on the new voters’ register which they say is central to the escalating tension in the country.
“Central to the escalating tension is the decision of the Electoral Commission to compile a new voters register. Unfortunately, the EC failed to honour invitations to the National House of Chiefs, when our traditional leaders wanted the opportunity to promote dialogue in the interest of peace. We want to call on the EC to make peaceful conduct of this year’s general elections its primary objectives. It would require, among others, that no qualified Ghanaian is disenfranchised, and that the elections are free and fair,” the House of Chiefs said.
The call by the House of Chiefs come at a time when the Electoral Commission (EC) has issued a roadmap for the compilation of a new electoral roll.
IMANI, ASEPA petition Asantehene
Two Civil Society groups, Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) and IMANI Africa have also petitioned Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to call on the Electoral Commission to rescind its decision to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 general elections.
Representatives of the two groups finished a closed-door meeting with the Asanteman Council in Kumasi today, Monday, June 1, 2020.
Speaking after the meeting, President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe told the media that the Asantehene was waiting to officially hear from the EC on the matter.
