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EC lied about list of deleted NHIS registrants -LMVCA
He stated the readiness of the LMVCA to guard against electoral malpractices and also called on other political parties and professionals to involve themselves in order to protect the sanctity of the upcoming elections.
EC Chair, Charlotte Osei
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The Electoral Commission this week announced it had deleted names of individuals found to have registered with NHIS cards.
But speaking at a news conference organised by the group Thursday July 14, 2016 in Accra, Convenor of the group David Asante indicated that the EC lied about the number of NHIS registrants.
According to him his outfit has compiled their own list of NHIS registrants which out numbers that of the EC.
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Related:Election 2016
“Our view is that per their dogged resistance to give Ghanaians a clean and credible register, the Charlotte Osei led EC has done more than enough to let Ghanaians know that it cannot be trusted to deliver a free, fair and transparent election,” he said.
Read also: Election 2016
“And, on election day, we want the people in the various communities nationwide to take it upon themselves to protect their ballot in their respective polling stations from being tampered with,” the statement read.
Read the statement below:
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ENSURING CREDIBLE POLLING AGENTS FOR 2016
Ladies and Gentlemen: we called you here today to share with you a few thoughts on how to achieve the national goal of a credible 2016 general elections, in spite of all the challenges.
As you know, the issue of the register was somewhat settled last week when the Supreme Court rebuffed the Electoral Commission for playing tricks with what was a clear order to take immediate steps to delete the names of those who registered using NHIS cards and offer them an opportunity to register.
The EC submitted a list that it claimed contained 56,772 people constituting the full list of those who used NHIS cards to register in 2012. This represents 0.404% of the 14,031,793 who registered in 2012. This also means that on average, only two registered voters per each of the 26,002 polling stations nationwide did so with their NHIS Card, if you believe the EC.
In 2012, according to figures from the National Health Insurance Authority, the National Health Insurance Scheme had a total of 8,885,757 active members nationwide. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, the estimated total population of Ghana in 2012 was 25,758,528. Thus, 34.50% of the population were active members of the NHIS. 14,031,793 people were captured on the 2012 biometric voters register.
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And, the EC saw nothing wrong with insulting the intelligence of Ghanaians with the claim that less than half of one percent of those who registered 4 years ago used NHIS cards. Indeed, the EC wanted the country to believe that it fought Abu Ramadan and Evans Nimako for two whole years in court to protect the deletion of only 57,772 names from a register of over 14 million.
Fortunately, no one, including the Supreme Court, believed the EC’s claim that only some 57,000 people used NHIS cards to register in 2012. So where does that leave us?
The EC claims it has deleted the list it presented in court from the register and that those people may register again during the exhibition of voters’ register which begins next week. Our view is that, per their dogged resistance to giving Ghanaians a clean register, the Charlotte-Osei-led EC has done more than enough to let Ghanaians know that it cannot be trusted to deliver a free, fair and transparent elections.
But, we are very hopeful that the destiny of our democracy will not be unduly influenced and diverted from its course by unscrupulous people in charge of the electoral process. What we sense out there is that the determination of Ghanaians this year to ensure that it is their votes that count and not the counting of people contracted to rig elections is very high. What is left is how to channel this energy positively to support the desired outcome.
With unemployment and economic hardships gripping the nation, there is frustration everywhere, especially among the youth. . The youth of the country are frustrated. People are eagerly waiting for election day, which they see as the only real opportunity since 2012 to give their verdict on the four years of President John Mahama and his government.
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We are afraid what might happen if the people, especially, the young and disillusioned army of unemployed Ghanaians, end up being convinced that their mandate has been stolen. We can see trouble ahead.
We can see a situation where this country can become ungovernable. Going into any election where confidence in both the ruling party and the election management body are at an all-time low can be a dangerous recipe for grave disaster if the contest is not viewed to have been transparent, free and fair.
We all saw on our television sets during the 2013 election petition how Presiding Officers, including the Chairman of the EC, and political party agents let the country down with a mixture of errors and fraud on the results declaration forms, popularly known as the pink sheets.
But, we of the Let My Vote Count have since the election petition, always proceeded on the principle that it is better to prevent than to pick up the broken pieces. As ugly as the post-election picture can be we believe there are steps that can be taken now to give Ghana a good canvass on which to paint instead a beautiful picture for 2016.
MUTASHI!
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It is for this reason that we wish to take this opportunity to sound the trumpet across the country for good people to rise up! Mutashi!, Rise up to get involved in the all-important task of protecting the ballot; our ballot; your ballot. This election is about you, me, our future, our children, our nation.
With about 115 days to the presidential and parliamentary elections, we wish to ignite a national debate on the roll of polling agents and election officers in giving the country credible elections this year.
We recognize that the Supreme Court with its judgment in the election petition elevated the roll of party agents to at least the same level as presiding officers.
We also know that many polling agents were simply not up to the task in 2012.
Some allegedly allowed themselves to be bribed. Others were not even loyal members of the party they signed up to represent. Others were simply not competent enough to read, count and see the figures that were to go on the pink sheets.
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NON-BRIBABLE AGENTS
For 2016, every candidate, per the C.I. 94 before Parliament, is allowed two agents, a Polling Agent and a Counting Agent. For the candidate, such an agent must be loyal, committed, literate, numerical, knowledgeable, courageous, and non-bribable.
Some people in the major political parties believe that it is their birthright to be polling agents, even if they are not up to the task. This situation cannot continue. Being a polling agent is not an entitlement!
In 2012, although many agents did a good job, a significant number also performed very poorly and in a country where elections are won or lost by razor thin margins, we cannot afford to pick the wrong people to watch over the balloting process.
The Let My Vote Count Alliance joins many Ghanaians in expressing the view that the EC officials and party agents let voters down in 2012. We believe the situation where after the Ghanaian has queued up to cast his ballot, he or she has no option but to rely solely on unscrupulous presiding officers and party agents to ostensibly protect the ballot has not served us as well and must be given full attention.
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WATCHING OVER WATCHMEN
We are not calling for any radical change, however. We are calling mainly for two things:
1. With the elections just around the corner, the political parties and their candidates are in the process of recruiting and training people they wish to use as agents in the November 7 poll. We want to take this opportunity to appeal to as many good people as possible who are loyal members of the various political parties, including the NDC, NPP, CPP, PNC, PPP, NDP, ACP, etc., to make themselves available as polling and counting agents. Let the professionals take time off work for this important national service.
2. And, on election day, we want the people in the various communities nationwide to take it upon themselves to protect their ballot in their respective polling stations from being tampered with. But, we must make sure we do so within acceptable limits allowed by the law. In other words, we want Ghanaians, during and after voting, to play the role of watchmen watching over the accredited watchmen.
APPEAL TO PROFESSIONALS
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This appeal goes to the many, many concerned professionals and students out there across the country. You can be found everywhere. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, bankers, business men and women, teachers, nurses, tertiary students, traders, etc, to all take proactive steps to be recruited as agents for the parties that they owe allegiance to and for the parties to come up with the necessary criteria, including stringent vetting measures, to open up the process that will enable good, credible people with integrity, who cannot be bribed, who can read and write, who can count, who are knowledgeable, to join the army of people who are tasked to watch over our votes in all the 29,000 polling stations nationwide on election day.
For a typical party with a presidential candidate and parliamentary candidates in each of the 275 constituencies, it may be looking at recruiting an army of nearly 120,000 people. It may not be an easy task, but we also believe that for a nation with a population of over 27 million, finding 120,000 people of integrity who can meet the other necessary attributes of a credible agent should not be that difficult.
Ghanaians do not want the spectacle of a disputed election to revisit us in 2016 and more so because we fear where that may take us. But, if we are to have a peaceful and credible contest then we must all be willing to play our patriotic part.
The Let My Vote Count Alliance is by this urging all political parties to be up and doing in their recruitment and training of agents. We urge their supporters to also make themselves available. Sacrifice a little bit for party and country.
Together, we can have an election that we will all be proud of, where even the losers will accept it as free and fair.
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Thank you.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
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Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh
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