New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team member Issah Mohammed says Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson or presiding officer can manipulate an election to secure victory for a political party unless there are weaknesses in the electoral system.
Speaking to Isaac Addae on The Verdict on Starr FM, Mr Mohammed argued that Ghana’s electoral processes make it difficult for an individual electoral official to unilaterally determine the outcome of an election.
He maintained that the processes involved in conducting elections, including ballot printing and the management of results, make it difficult for an EC chairperson or a presiding officer to alter the outcome in favour of a particular political party.
According to him, “no EC chairperson can determine the winner of an election on their own if the electoral system is strong enough to prevent manipulation.”
Mr Mohammed said the possibility of manipulating election results depends on weaknesses in the electoral system that could be exploited, rather than simply who occupies the position of EC chairperson.
“It is not just about who occupies the position of EC chairperson, but the strength of the system and the processes that guide the conduct of elections,” he argued.
He further stressed that the electoral process should be assessed based on the mechanisms in place to protect the integrity of the results and prevent individuals from independently influencing the outcome.
“If the necessary safeguards are in place and the processes are followed, it becomes difficult for any individual to manipulate the outcome of an election,” he said.
His comments highlight the importance of electoral safeguards in ensuring that election results reflect the outcome of the voting process rather than the decisions of individual electoral officials.
Mr Mohammed suggests that discussions about the credibility of elections should focus on whether existing procedures are strong enough to prevent interference at every stage of the process.
He maintained that it would be difficult for any electoral official to influence the final outcome if the system’s safeguards are effective and properly enforced.
Story By Pamela Quayson
