Article: Due Diligence, Parliamentary Candidates Disqualifications In An Election, And The Critical Role Of Electoral Commissioners.

Disqualification of Parliamentary Candidates who have been successfully elected, as a result of winning parliamentary elections, is gradually becoming a funfair in some African nations.

Even if it’s claimed that, political opponents might be exploiting the situation for their peculiar groups interest, or on the basis of pure partisanship, then the bigger question to be asked is, what’s the role of the supervisory body, and regulatory duties of the electoral commission, and commissioners.

Who qualifies to stand for an election, even if the political parties do not have capacity and practical readiness to properly and effective check to approve, lies within the remit of the electoral commission abi?

A basic due diligence exercises, for the purposes of ascertaining, authentication and confirmation through verification, would be enough to truly arrived at an outcome that certifies the eligibility criteria of individual Parliamentary Contestants in a particular election.

The qualification criteria set out by election bodies who are interested in averting, avoiding, detecting and preventing silly anomalies, and electoral fraud for that matter, can be easily attained, and achieved on time, when due diligence and international best practices are strictly adhered to by the vetting panel members at the electoral commission.

Failure to do so, and not building the right requisite capacity in doing so, has widely opened up the space for accusations and dragging of feet and body to the front doors of the law courts; a funny situation which can be both prevented and avoided so easily.

The electoral commission, espcially in Ghana, has the power to disqualify persons who have failed to meet the qualification criteria set out for an election; a procedure which is backed by statutory laws, and outlined in the same manner.

Providing basic knowledge for participation candidates in an election is the responsibility of both the political parties, and the election supervisory body. Step1 and step 2 approach.

Africans assigned with the responsibilities of conduting national and constituency elections, must take the role and exercises a bit more serious to help minimised the unnecessary errors and mudslinging in the open markets.

Conducting of elections, and the final outcome of same has become a serious business on the African continent, and it requires all what it will take to make it happened successfully, without much hiccups, and upheavals, which include, avoiding the aftermath of the law courts.

Due is an essential tool for both survival and sustenance, and has eventually become an integral part of state institutions and corporate businesses who prioritise proactiveness over failure, and loses. It works, let’s embrace it.

By Richard Kumadoe
Fraud Preventions Expert and Security Consultant (also known as The Village Crusader)

 

 

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