Care-Ghana Endorses NDC Demo Against EC

Care for Free and Fair Elections Ghana (“CARE” GHANA) has announced its unequivocal support and active participation in the upcoming nationwide demonstration captioned “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, PROTECT OUR VOTE DEMO” scheduled for 17th September 2024.

Endorsing the opposition National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) planned demonstration against the Electoral Commission (EC) in a press statement, “CARE GHANA” said the demonstration was meant to put pressure on the EC to address challenges associated with the voters’ register to ensure peaceful and transparent elections.
It added that the demonstration is a vital opportunity for citizens to collectively demand a credible, transparent, and accurate voter register, a cornerstone of free and fair elections in any
democracy.

According to CARE” GHANA “As a voting rights organisation, we believe that every vote counts. Any flawed or compromised voters register undermines the very foundation of democracy, denying individuals their fundamental right to vote. In recent times, there have been growing concerns over the integrity of Ghana’s electoral roll, with clear evidence of errors, omissions, and inconsistencies that threaten to disenfranchise countless citizens. Care Ghana considers this wholly unacceptable and a dangerous threat to our democratic values”.

Their reasons for proceeding with the protest are grounded in the following principles:

Protecting Voting Rights: The flaws in the provisional voter’s register could disenfranchise thousands of eligible Ghanaians, thereby undermining the right of every citizen to vote freely and fairly.

Good Electoral Governance: The credibility of our elections is non-negotiable. The refusal to audit the register casts doubt on the EC’s commitment to conducting a free and fair
election.

Electoral Accountability: It is the responsibility of the EC to ensure that all electoral processes are free from manipulation, bias, or error. Their failure to address the issues raised is a clear violation of their mandate.

Human Rights: Voting is a fundamental human right. Any process that hampers this right due to administrative incompetence or negligence is unacceptable.

Participatory Democracy: A functioning democracy thrives on the active participation of all citizens. An inclusive and accurate voter’s register is a cornerstone of this participation.

Transparency: Transparency is the bedrock of trust in electoral processes. By dismissing legitimate concerns about the register, the EC risks eroding public confidence in our democratic institutions.

 

Read the full statement below

 

 

Background

The National Chairman of the (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah announced that the party will hold a nationwide demonstration on September 17 against the EC over its refusal to commission a forensic audit of the voter register for the December polls.

He stated that the lack of information has raised suspicions, which is why the demonstration has become necessary among other concerns.

Also, the NDC Minority in Parliament raised concerns about the voter register exhibition, alleging that it has been tampered with.

According to the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the voter register has been riddled with irregularities and flaws, asserting that the NDC cannot vouch for the integrity of the voter register.

The Ghana Police Service has approved the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) planned demonstration against the Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday, September 17.

The General Secretary of the party, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, revealed this in an address to the media at the EC Headquarters after a meeting between the leadership of the party and the Accra Regional Police Command.

Mr Kwetey said that the regional police command agreed with all the proposed routes for the demonstration.

“We wanted to have a confirmation about the endpoint – in terms of the route, we had an agreement that we are going to start from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, proceed through Farisco Traffic Light through to TUC, continue through the Ministry and come all the way to Parliament and end up in front of the premises of the Electoral Commission,” he said

 

 

 

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