Civil society group, Right Alliance Africa, described the recently-held presidential and parliamentary elections as a freak show.
According to the group, after following the events that characterised the polls, it cannot help but marvel at some of the incidents.
“Rights Alliance Africa has followed with consternation the freak show that became of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections and the post-traumatic stress that the country has been dealing with in the aftermath of the elections.
“We are at a loss as to why six citizens had to lose their lives simply on account of their participation in the electioneering process, and the fact that the killings took place at the hands of agents of the country’s security services leaves a sinking feeling in the stomach,” the group said in a press statement.
The group said the deaths and injuries that characterised the 2020 polls are unacceptable.
“We demand justice for the six victims who were set upon by their own country’s military and Police and murdered in cold blood.
“The murders, of course, were just a crowning to the grand betrayal of the social contract that the people of Ghana have with our duty bearers. To say that the Government failed miserably in its duty to deliver another milestone in the democratic project is an understatement. And so, while we are seized with indignation over the killing of fellow Ghanaians, we must also mourn the cost to our democracy,” the group added.
Read the full statement from the group below.
RIGHT ALLIANCE CALLS FOR JUSTICE IN THE 2020 ELECTIONS
Right Alliance Africa (RAA) has followed with consternation the freak show that became of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections and the post-traumatic stress that the country has been dealing with in the aftermath of the elections.
We are at a loss as to why six citizens had to lose their lives simply on account of their participation in the electioneering process, and the fact that the killings took place at the hands of agents of the country’s security services leaves a sinking feeling in the stomach.
Rather than the elections being the platform for them to exercise their fundamental human rights to elect their leaders, the elections became the theatre of the deaths of these precious citizens and this is unacceptable.
We demand justice for the six victims who were set upon by their own country’s military and Police and murdered in cold blood.
The murders, of course, were just a crowning to the grand betrayal of the social contract that the people of Ghana have with our duty bearers. To say that the Government failed miserably in its duty to deliver another milestone in the democratic project is an understatement. And so, while we are seized with indignation over the killing of fellow Ghanaians we must also mourn the cost to our democracy.
Like Right Alliance and many Civil Society Organizations had pointed out from the beginning, the Government’s collaboration with the Electoral Commission to reinvent the wheels of our election apparatus by recompiling a new voters’ register was a reckless tempt of fate. Unfortunately, we have been proven right. However, that recklessness has already been perpetrated and so we will not flog a dead horse.
However, it should be made clear that the Electoral Commission’s performance in this election is unacceptable. The fact that the EC has had to vary election result figures that it has declared seven times after declaration is beyond disappointing.
The insincerity involved in blatantly manipulating figures just so they can fit a pre-cast agenda to declare somebody as the winner of the Presidential election is shameful to be charitable. We remind the EC that the hardworking taxpayers of this country did not give them the Ghc430million that they asked for so that they can insult our intelligence.
We also express indignation over the EC’s foul-up over the Techiman South Constituency Parliamentary elections outcome. How come the EC cannot furnish political parties demanding simple collation sheets so that they can cross-check and satisfy themselves of the outcome of the election there?
What kind of Electoral Commission declares election results without collation? What kind of Electoral Commission changes declared results for a Presidential election seven times?
We join all well-meaning Ghanaians to demand accountability from the Jean Mensa led Electoral Commission. In the least, we believe that the EC must heed to calls for the re-collation of all the results of the Parliamentary elections whose outcomes are in contention. Natural justice demands that parties who feel cheated in any election are given the opportunity to have recounts and re-collations. Thus, in Techiman South, in particular, we demand that the EC furnish the political parties with the necessary collation sheets so that the issue can be settled amicably.
In the matter of the Presidential election, we join all well-meaning Ghanaians to demand a forensic audit of the results which has strangely mutated seven times on the EC’s own website after declaration.
In respect of the killings that happened during the elections, we are grateful that the security agencies have begun investigations into some and in some cases, actually apprehended suspects. We demand that all perpetrators are brought to justice.
We, however, express our indignation at President Akufo-Addo over his nonchalance in the matter of the killing of six citizens over the controversial elections that his government delivered. We will like to remind the President that he took an oath to protect all Ghanaians and do good to all manner of citizens and that breakage of that oath is criminal.
Signed
Director of Communication
Michael Sumiala Nlasia
Jean Mensa is EC Chairperson