The former Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has criticised the Commission’s establishment of regional collation centres for presidential elections.
Dr. Afari-Gyan considers this decision retrogressive and potentially harmful to the electoral processes in the country.
In his assessment, the creation of regional collation centres could lead to increased opportunities for result manipulation, posing a danger to the integrity of the electoral system.
Speaking as the keynote speaker during the Constitution Day Lecture on Monday, January 8, Dr. Afari-Gyan urged the Electoral Commission to promptly implement necessary measures to address these concerns.
“I am sure that the Electoral Commission is aware that most of the election controversies in recent times have centred on the counting and collation of votes. For this reason, I consider the setting up of regional collation centres in our presidential election to be a retrogressive step. Because it increases the number of points at which results can be manipulated.”
“I understand that we borrowed the practice from Nigeria, surprisingly at a time when Nigeria was seeking ways to send results straight from the police stations to one location.”
Meanwhile, Dr Afari-Gyan, has also proposed that election petitions that do not succeed should be subject to sanctions.
He suggestted this measure to prevent the proliferation of election petitions and ensure they are not used as a tool to merely satisfy financiers and supporters.
Dr. Afari-Gyan expressed concern that some candidates might be resorting to filing election petitions hastily, alleging that result manipulation, may be an effort to appease their backers and secure another chance in the electoral process.
Source: JoyOnline