The Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has criticised the Electoral Commission’s response to concerns of low turn in Thursday’s Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
The poll which was marred by chaos and sporadic shooting, witnessed a 19 percent turnout, the lowest in the history of the country as far as by-elections are concerned.
The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) blamed the low turnout on the presence of masked armed men at the polling centers and violence that characterized the process, leading to the withdrawal of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), citing safety concerns.
Six people were shot during the commotion at the Bawaleshie polling center of the constituency. The police said no deaths were recorded as it opened up investigations into the incident.
Chairperson of the EC Jean Mensa at a press conference rejected CODEO’s observations, maintaining that they were ridden with falsehoods.
She accused the election observer group of improperly accusing officers and security personnel who were deployed to monitor the by-elections.
“On the allegation of a shooting incident at the La Bawaleshie area, the Commission rejects the attempts by the report of CODEO to link the Electoral Commission to the alleged incident at the private residence of the Parliamentary candidate of the NDC.
“The Commission wishes to state that the said shooting incident did not take place in any of the polling stations in the constituency and, therefore, did not in any way disrupt the conduct of the overall poll,” Mensa said.
Speaking on Morning Starr, however, on Monday, CHRAJ’s Commissioner Joseph Whittal said it was “disingenuous” of the EC to delink the violence to the “abysmally” low turnout.
“I think it’s misplaced. The outcome of the election, the 19 percent that turned out, in fact, should let the EC know that people did not come out,” Whittal told the host Francis Abban.
“We know by-elections generally the turnouts are not so high. But this one is abysmally low and that’s to let you know that word of violence can travel far… So for the EC to disingenuously say that’s not the case I find it a bit difficult to understand.
“The EC should not attempt to rationalize,” he added.
The Minority in Parliament has rejected the outcome of the violence-ridden by-election.
Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu told a press conference last Friday the by-election “will pass as a blot on the conscience of our democratic evolution with what was observed and what has been appropriately reported.
“We, therefore, are unable to accept even the outcome of the election as one which was credible and one which was free and fair.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
