Opinions of Saturday, 28 March 2015

Columnist: Yawose, John

NDC are terrified of New Voters Register

The level of thinking of NDC leadership and their apparatchiks amazes me. NDC are specialists in doing long winding diversionary arguments never really addressing the issues. In the end, their overall, tends to be very hollow, mediocre and without in –depth analysis and thinking. What they succeed to do is playing and dancing Agbadza and Azonto freely to the gallery for votes. In the end, they win power but they cant formulate and implement any worthwhile policies. Listen to the arrogant but hollow-minded spinners Solomon Nkansa, Allotey Jacobs, Dr. Omane Boama, the impudent butterball Sam George, even the President Mahama himself and most of their commentators and you are bound to be faced with a dishonest and shameless presentation which occupies space and time but lacks meaningful and forward looking ideas and policies. Ghana is doomed under this NDC. The Daily Graphic edition of 26th March 2015 had on its page 17- ideas on election reforms from the stables of both NDC and NPP. Kofi Adams, the National Organiser of the NDC had his thoughts headlined —'''Don't limit electoral reforms discussions to voters register''. And the NPP thoughts were headlined —''NPP demands new voters register by June 2016'. Reading the two opinions side by side convinced me that, there is no hope in the ruling NDC party at all because they are dishonest, always trying to hide something and seeming never ready to put forward dynamic and comprehensive proposals or any ideas on election reforms worthy of serious discussion. All they do is invariably to wait for NPP to come forward with proposals then they jump on them and spend the whole time condemning the NPP proposals without any alternatives or their own proposals. In the two ideas under reference, Kofi Adams spent all the time condemning NPP idea that the current Voters Register should be jettisoned and replaced by a totally new Register. He expressed surprise that NPP were calling for a New Register and rather took the line of least resistance that, the EC, the political parties and civil society should work closely to clean the existing register since any replacement comes with cost. How lazy. How slothful can NDC be? Kofi Adams also called for a non-partisan and dispassionate debate for a consensus to be reached on electoral reforms and reduce mistrust which had thrived on falsehood. Amazingly, Kofi did not put forward any reformative indication for discussion. Kofi did not discuss anything but did the NDC usual diversions, elementary arguments and empty talk lacking depth and seriousness. On the other hand, NPP lived up to their consistency, propagating more analytical and putting forward forward-looking reformative indications. NPP were positive and focused. They dwelt on the issues and they never mentioned NDC in their presentation. Kudos to NPP. Apart from the call for the New Register, NPP, suggested the following:- 1. Constituency collation forms should be copied instantly to party agents. 2. Amendment to the regulation 2 (3) of C.I. 72 Public Election (Regulation2012) that; the commission shall, at least 30 days before the 1st day of national registration of voters, inform political parties and the general public by publication in the gazette, EC website, on radio etc

3. Amendment to the public elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations 2012, C.I. 72 to ensure that political parties receive copies of the final register of voters based on which the EC will be conducting the general election at least ninety (90) days before the conduct of the elections."

4. Amendment of regulations 1(3) (d) of C.I. 72 registration of voters to exclude the National Health Insurance (NHIA) card pursuant to the Supreme Court's judgement on the issue and regulation 1 (4) so that a registered voter cannot guarantee more than two (2) potential registrants. Copies of such registration should be made available to the political parties and should be accessible by the general public.

5. Amendment proposals on the entries on PINK SHEETS, Over voting, verification equipment, number of voters in a polling station not to exceed 500, period to create constituencies, etc

It is clear that, NPP has set up a basket of wide-ranging proposals on many angles and forms of the electoral system and Kofi Adams rantings that the discussions on electoral reforms should not be on the Voters Register alone.were useless and unwarranted. That is the NDC intellectual dishonesty I talked about earlier. Kofi Adams, typical of NDC presentations, spent a whole lot of space and time harping on this useless point but NPP, CPP, PPP had never dwelt only on reforms on the Voters register.

On the whole, NDC typically had nothing to propose on electoral reforms but rabble rousers as they are, they are invariably there to play their usual ''confused and muddy the waters' games on NPP proposals to create unnecessary tensions and confusion in the body politic. The questions: Why should NDC oppose a New Voters scheme? Why are NDC always terrified with the mention of New Voters Register? Is it that the existing Register benefits NDC and they are averse to changes in it? Why are NDC vehemently opposing the implementation of the Supreme Court .observations and directives? With all the problems associated with the existing Voters register, why do NDC want the confused status quo to remain? Is it not surprising that to date NDC have no proposal on Over Voting? They don't have any ideas. They wont propose anything. All they do is to just oppose what others propose---- these NDC unrepentant goonish characters, greedy bastards and evil dwarfs. (Rawlings where are you?). The Inforrmation is that President Mahama has called on the Togolese authorities to prepare fresh Voters Register for their upcoming Presidential elections. If Mahama is sincere to himself his ruling party should have made similar calls to support popular demands for such a revision in Ghana. As it is, his famous two-mouths have shown and his ruling party has rather totally rejected Ghana's Voters Register revision, thus placing grave impediments into Ghana's democratic process.. What a world.

NDC must change their ways. The way NPP proposals for Free SHS, NHIS, SADA, SHS 3 or 4 School -years etc. were bastardised by NDC with elementary and unhelpful arguments are dirty stains the country is still grappling to clean away. NDC should urge themselves to learn and agree to New Voters Register to stabilise the country in the 2016 Presidential elections so that the EC has a peace of mind to move on. The EC intransigence is all because of NDC rigid positions which the EC struggles to satisfy. .I ask my NDC friends this simple question again—Why are NDC terrified of New Voters Register?