What are the Arguments against Forensic Audit of the Voters Register?.The fundamental question presently, about Ghana’s preparation for the
December 7th general elections is whether or not the Voters Register must be subjected to a Forensic Audit to determine its suitability for the purpose of the general elections. We of LINSOD have noted that in the brouhaha, there are only two entities in the country, namely, the Electoral Commission (EC) and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), which are strongly against the call for a forensic audit of the Voters Register. Unfortunately, what we do not know is their best argument supporting their incessant resistance to the call for the much needed forensic audit, which shall instill absolute confidence in the
Voters Roll and the rest of the electoral process.
Besides the EC’s usual rhetoric that the exhibition of the voters register, which
was done recently was the beginning of a process by the Commission to clean
the register internally of any anomalies that may be detected, and the famous
claim by them that the Commission has the capacity to correct any errors
noticed in the register without assistance, there is no other argument in support of the intransigent position taken by the Commission in refusing to heed the call for a forensic audit of the register. With this posturing of the Commission, is it not legitimate for the general public to presume that the Commission is in cahoots with the ruling NPP to manipulate the elections in their favour?
If the Commission has nothing to hide, why would it be fighting so hard to prevent a forensic audit of the voters register to avert any potential civil disturbances? .
These are legitimate questions lingering on the minds of Ghanaians, and
begging for urgent answers from Mrs. Jean Mensa and his staff.
In all of this, we must remember the caution of Mr. Franklin Cudjoe of IMANI
Africa to Ghanaians that anyone who trusts the word of the EC that the
Commission is capable to unilaterally correct the gargantuan errors in the
voters register does so at his or her own “foolish risk.” Mr. Cudjoe cited as his
basis for this profound assertion on the backdrop of the numerous efforts he
made together with others to ensure that his people of SALL would vote in both
the presidential and parliamentary elections in the 2020 general elections, and the assurances given to them by the EC that the people of SALL shall indeed,
do so, until in the eve of the elections when the Chairperson of the
Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensa announced rather wickedly and regrettably that the people of SALL shall not elect a Member of Parliament in the 2020 general elections to represent them. Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare describes the exclusion of the people of SALL from electing a Member of Parliament as a “cardinal sin” in Ghana’s democracy, and we wholly agree with his assertion.
In light of the cardinal sin cited above, and the many circumstances, which
create bases for suspicion of the EC, Ghanaians are not expected to merely
believe everything the Commission tells us. Let us not forget that in this election
cycle, they continue to make unimaginable errors until the NDC exposes them, and then they would turn around to explain that those errors are not serious ones.
Interestingly, they again describe the grave anomalies discovered by the
NDC in the provisional register as trivial errors, which may be easily rectified
through their internal mechanisms, which are doubtful in light of the nature of the anomalies.
We do recall the purported missing biometric equipment from the EC’s fortified security offices. We also cannot forget how late in the day, and how close to the date of exhibition of the provisional register was the register provided to the NDC.
It was barely hours before the exhibition process started, and only after
persistent agitation by the party for the register to be furnished them for
scrutiny.
Let us also remember the many NPP activists, who now occupy the
Commission, and are making decisions on the management of our elections.
With all of these, Ghanaians cannot simply trust the EC without proper scrutiny of the voters register, which only the Commission can tamper with. As things stand now, there is justifiable presumption by well-meaning Ghanaians and some international bodies that the neutrality and objectivity of the Electoral
Commission is in serious doubt.
To regain our confidence in their work, the Commission must go beyond mere words, and allow measures such as the
forensic audit demanded by the NDC.
Why Forensic Audit is Necessary
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare again states that the Afrobarometer reveals
that 2 out of every 3 Ghanaians do not trust the Electoral Commission, and he
argues that the purpose of a forensic audit of the voters register is to “restore
public confidence; calm the political temperature; and forestall needless
future litigation and disputes.” (Emphasis ours). Professor Asare continues and
recommended an urgent parliamentary resolution to appoint an auditor to
audit the Voter Registration System and provide a report by October 15th, 2024.
We of LINSOD see a great deal of wisdom in this proposition and we support same absolutely.
We wish to add, however, that of all the reasons why a forensic audit of the
voters roll is important, the dissatisfaction of a major stakeholder, and a key player in our elections, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is the most crucial, and must not be taken lightly. The Electoral Commission must do anything necessary to assure the NDC that the 2024 elections shall be
conducted with a clean, transparent, and trustworthy Voters Register, and shall
be conducted fairly, devoid of any traits of rigging.
It is very important to do everything possible to assuage the fears of the NDC and other minority political parties that the Electoral Commission is working for the interest of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Allowing for a forensic audit of the voters register is an important step in convincing the NDC and the other political parties that the electoral processes shall be fair.
Independent Bodies must call for Forensic Audit rather than Dialogue
Since NDC’s massive demonstration in all the 16 regional capitals of the nation
on Tuesday, September 17th, 2024, we have heard from the Peace Council; the
Christian Council; the Office of the Chief Imam; and some Eminent Religious
Leaders; among others. Unfortunately, their messages were either calling for a
dialogue between the NDC and the EC on one hand, or not clearly enough as
to what they believed in and/or wanted to be done at this stage, on the other
hand. Regrettably, besides the Goasomanhene, Nana Kwasi Bosomprah, who
was bold and objective enough to call on the EC to allow for forensic of the
Voters Register if there is nothing to hide, all the other public statements made so far fall short of what is credible and important to the guaranteed success and peace in the impending elections.
We wish to call on these independent bodies and others to speak out clearly
and call on the Electoral Commission to allow for a forensic audit of the Voters
Register as desired by majority of Ghanaians. No dialogue is required at this stage. The only measure that is reasonable and crucial now is a forensic audit of the register, and there must be no compromise on that for whatever reason.
Conclusion: There must be Forensic Audit of the Voters Register and
NOTHING ELSE .
All that NDC and many well-meaning Ghanaians are asking for is an
independent body to vet our Voters Register to determine its credibility and
suitability for the crucial 2024 general elections. There is nobody in Ghana who
thinks this request is unreasonable. Everybody knows that it is the right thing to do now, particularly, in the wake of such a disoriented and unreliable voters
register. Indeed, it is only the Electoral Commission and NPP, who are against
the forensic audit.
This in itself raises further suspicion for which the call for
forensic audit must be intensified. We of LINSOD call on the Electoral
Commission to quickly and urgently accept the request for forensic audit of the voters register to avert any potential chaos in the 2024 elections. We invite all independent bodies; civil society organizations; religious bodies; labour unions; and others to join us in calling on the Electoral Commission to do the right thing, as quickly as possible. Just like many of these organizations joined in the fight against illegal mining (Galamsey) recently, we are expecting them to be responsive to our call in the coming days.
Signed:
ERIC DELANYO ALIFO, ESQ. PRESIDENT, LAWYERS IN SEARCH OF DEMOCRACY
THEOPHILUS DZIMEGA JR., ESQ. SECRETARY, LAWYERS IN SEARCH OF
DEMO
