Parliamentarians agree on 2020 general elections despite COVID-19 threat

Both sides of the chamber have pledged support to Electoral Commission to conduct the general elections in December despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, was responding to calls by the Minority for the Electoral Commission (EC) to appear before Parliament with a roadmap on how it intends to conduct this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

He said he agreed that this year’s election must be held.

According to the Majority, the Constitution was ambivalent about what should happen in the absence of a general election and, therefore, called for measures to provide space for the holding of the 2020 elections.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the Constitution was not clear about what should happen should there be no general election.

Making the case of the Minority at the commencement of the first sitting of the second meeting of Parliament, yesterday, the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu said whether COVID-19 or no COVID-19 pandemic, the EC was expected to carry out the general elections.

“This country, COVID-19 or no COVID-19, we are a democracy and our democracy will evolve and they will be expected to conduct presidential and parliamentary elections and we need to know what their roadmap is,” it said.

“We will not accept any excuse for their inability to live up to their calling under Article 45,” he said.