Political analyst Emmanuel Alex Nti has advised political parties to put in measures to prevent any form of rigging in the upcoming 2024 presidential and parliamenatry elections.
The analyst says that although the Electoral Commission (EC) is required by law to organise free, fair, and transparent elections, the political parties ought to adopt measures that will prevent any form of electoral misconduct and manipulation.
He was referencing footage of alleged count-jumping by some EC officials in the Ejisu by-election.
He called for the incident to be investigated to see if it was true.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he opined that political parties must be prepared for the upcoming polls in all aspects so they are not taken by surprise.
He said we have witnessed such acts in the past that nearly marred the beauty and credibility of our elections; hence, the parties ought to be vigilant.
He added that political parties should be alert to ensure that electoral processes are not manipulated, as this could lead to violent outbursts like those seen in the Ayawaso West Wuogon election.
“I have seen footage where an electoral official was jumping figures. I stand to be corrected, and in recent times, technology could be used to manipulate videos, but if this is true, it is unfortunate. I will encourage the political parties to remain vigilant. These kinds of strategies are dangerous and could affect the credibility of our elections.
An example is the strategy the NPP deployed during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, where people were beaten and attacked. The same strategy was used in 2020. If an electoral official could jump figures and move from 27 to 30, then this strategy can be replicated in different polling stations based on what happened during the Ayawaso West Wuogon polls.
The political parties should remain vigilant. It could also be that the official made an honest mistake. The EC should therefore employ officials who are competent and qualified people who have a basic understanding of mathematics. They should employ people who can read and write and can compute basic mathematics.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
