Opinions of Wednesday, 26 October 2016

Columnist: Rockson Adofo

Help me to sue the EC over proxy voting

Charlotte Osei EC Boss Charlotte Osei EC Boss

I still stand firmly by my conviction that the PROXY VOTING is a recipe for rigging Election 2016 in favour of the NDC. It is one of the Plans Bs and Cs by Mrs Charlotte Osei who has completely lost her credibility as far as I am concerned.

The exercise of proxy voting in the midst of processing all able-bodied electorates biometrically before they cast their votes is very dodgy. How can a proxy be verified biometrically before casting the vote for which he/she has been nominated to cast on behalf of the actual registered voter? Or, to rephrase the question, how can the actual voter be verified biometrically via a proxy before his/her vote is eligibly cast?

What is the benefit of spending millions of US dollars purchasing all the biometric verification machines from China, regardless of how sub-standard they may be, if they cannot effectively be put to use to attain the very objective for which they were purchased?

What goal are they meant to achieve, you may want to know? The machines are to prevent multiple registrations and the possibility of multiple voting by any single individual hence processing voters biometrically to detect any attempts by anyone wanting to cast many votes at different polling stations under different names.

How can the person not presenting themselves personally at a polling station but nominating another person (proxy) to vote on their behalf be verified? If such persons cannot be verified, what will be the essence of the biometric verification machines in such circumstances?

A person who has dubiously been able to register twice or more, can nominate proxies to vote for him or her at several polling stations with him or herself casting his or her vote personally somewhere else. With this situation of someone being able to vote severally through proxies being feasible, subsequent upon an explanation once given by the Director of Communications at the EC, Eric Dzakpasu, as to how one can obtain a transfer or a proxy vote form of which I published a condemnatory view about, I suggest there should not be any proxy voting at election 2016.

What is a PROXY? By dictionary definition, it is “authority given to a person to act for someone else, such as by voting for them in an election, or the person who this authority is given to: a proxy vote. E.G. “My brother's voting for me by proxy in the club elections”.

The underlying web link on my previously expressed fears about the proxy voting will be more than enough to persuade readers to agree with me that the proxy voting is not right in this era of biometric verification before one casts their electoral vote.

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/The-proxy-vote-is-a-potential-weapon-and-could-be-used-to-the-advantage-of-NDC-472288

One may query why Charlotte is always alleged to be biased, helping to rig the election for NDC. The answer is not far fetched. The NDC are always supportive of her policies and actions that clearly come across dubiously hence the perception that she is in bed with the NDC and is helping them to win the election.

As long as God lives, with Agya Koo and his “Agenda 57% for Nana Akufo Addo 2016” brigade campaigning tirelessly to ensure the election of Nana Akufo Addo and the NPP, victory shall be ours (the suffering masses of Ghana).

Have Messrs Adreba Damoah, Dr Amoako-Tuffour et al, thought about the proxy voting and its repercussions on the outcome of Election 2016?

No matter what Charlotte Osei and NDC do, President Mahama and the NDC are goners come 7 December 2016, by the Grace of God (Inshah Allah). The wind of change that is blowing is too strong for the NDC and President Mahama to resist it. It will sweep them away from the presidency and government with such a ferocious force that any ear that hears it will sing glorious songs and praises to God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

“YERE SESA MU”