LET'S NOT DEMONISE EC

EVERYBODY with a keen interest in the outcome of the general election in the country in December this year should heave a sigh of relief that the so-called bloated register does not exist.
According to the Electoral Commission (EC), the discrepancies that formed the basis of the allegation of a bloated register by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were the result of errors which occurred in the programmes used to generate the voter statistics.
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, said the errors existed on the hard copy of the voter statistics that the NDC received and were traceable to an operational error in the generation of the statistics.
Thankfully, these findings were made by a committee set up by the EC, with representation from the political parties, to investigate the discrepancies in voter registration figures in the Ashanti Region following allegations in that regard by the NDC.
The findings should lay to rest agitation in certain quarters that some officials of the EC or faceless political figures have manipulated or manufactured the figures to favour a particular political party in the upcoming elections.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends the EC for not sweeping the allegations under the carpet but taking on board the concerns expressed by the NDC and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) to get to the bottom of the matter.
But it is equally important that matters relating to the electoral process are handled in a more informed manner in future in order not to inflame passions.
Misunderstandings arising out of election results have pushed many nations on our continent to the brink of failed states and it is important for all stakeholders to bear this in mind when raising issues for redress.
The DAILY GRAPHIC agrees with the sentiments expressed by the EC that the people of Ghana had a shared responsibility in ensuring that the voters register was in good shape.
However, in drawing attention to the need for a credible register as a major prerequisite for free and fair elections, we must also bear in mind the concerns expressed by Dr Afari-Gyan that “what we found most regrettable about some of the political statements and media discussions and commentaries relating to the allegation of a bloated register were, on the one hand, hurried, uninformed and premature statements and judgements and, on the other, blatant accusations of deliberate wrongdoing made against the EC collectively and against some of its individual members”.
What we find dangerous in our body politic in recent times is the lack of confidence in our institutions even when they make genuine human errors.
Ironically, when it suits us, we extol the virtues in such institutions because they tend to favour our cause.
The case of the bloated register should, therefore, mark the beginning of our trust and faith in all institutions of state. What we need to do is to offer our support in order to strengthen their capacities to deliver efficient services for the good of our country.
The EC has a very credible and solid reputation in the country, on the continent and beyond and the people look forward with hope that the commission can superintend, for the fifth time, over free, fair and transparent elections whose outcome all the contestants will accept, even if reluctantly.