Louisa Iris Arde, MCE nominee for Jomoro constituency
Concerned Assembly Members of the Jomoro Municipality have appealed to the Municipal Coordinating Directorate and all other observers to allow sanity prevail in the voting, counting, declaration of results, and confirmation of the MCE nominee exercise go through the electoral process as enshrined in the 1992 constitution.
According to them, the practice whereby the electoral process is being thwarted and circumvented to forcibly endorse and confirm the president’s nominee through backdoor will not be countenanced in the election of the MCE nominee for Jomoro, Madam Iris Arde.
This was contained in a petition jointly issued and signed by Chairman of the group, Emmanuel Assuahchie Erzoah, Secretary, Madam Benedicta Boadi, and Organizer, Abubakar Hamid Kabenla and copied to the Ghana News Agency at Half-Assini.
Readers will recall that the MCE nominee for Jomoro last Friday polled 32 YES votes against 16 NO votes with 1 rejected ballot paper in an election supervised by the Western Regional Electoral Officer, Madam Angelina Tahoe, and other observers including the Western Regional Minister and Regional bigwigs of the NPP at Half-Assini.
The petition registered the displeasure of Assembly Members on the entire process of the confirmation exercise on October 8, 2021, at the Jomoro Municipal Assembly Hall.
The aggrieved Assembly Members levelled various allegations of impropriety including “counting of already thumb-printed ballot papers as against ballots cast by the Assembly Members, declaration of false results after undisclosed counting, revocation of appointments of government appointees without recourse to appropriate recall procedure.
Other allegations are brutalizing Assembly Members who would want to observe sorting and counting as well as not allowing Assembly Members to represent and protect their votes”.
The petition said Jomoro Assembly Members thought being calm and allowing a free, fair, and transparent election will produce good results and foster a smooth relationship between the nominee and Assembly Members.
“But the election, however, saw nothing less than exactly what was embodied in the speculations and atrocities, abuse of power, disrespect of electoral process, disregard to Assembly Members and their right under the watch of the Regional Minister, the Regional NPP Chairman and his Executives, the Electoral Commission, the Security Services especially the Police”.
“These acts are grossly unacceptable under this fourth Republic and in our practice of democratic governance.
“Also we wish to state categorically that such an unlawful act of impunity cannot be accepted and would be met with equal measure if allowed in the subsequent confirmation process”.
The Members maintained that due processes following lawful standard of events is what should be practiced going forward.
“The ground rules should be set by Electoral Commission who was very unprofessional in the last confirmation and the Assembly Members before the process begins.
The Assembly Members should be allowed to observe a transparent sorting and counting process of their own ballots by appointing two agents, one of which should represent YES and NO ballots in the sorting process
Security presence in the Assembly Hall at the process voting, sorting and counting should not be more than five officers and under no condition shall they interfere with voting, sorting and counting,” the statement read.
The Assembly Members said we are by this petition pleading with our Traditional Authorities, the Clergy, the Security services, the leadership of the Jomoro Assembly, the Western Regional Minister, and all stakeholders to ensure that there is smooth and transparent confirmation to foster peace and harmony in the Jomoro Municipality.
“Anything less than what is spelled out in the Constitution of the republic would not be entertained and that may jeopardize the process of confirmation and other related matters.
We are also by this petition calling on the District Police Command to do a professional job as they are known for and not kowtow to any abusive individuals or group who would protect their selfish gains at the detriment of the people of Jomoro. In fact, we are not asking for much, we are only asking that the laws of Ghana as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution demands with regards to all public elections,” they said.
“We believe that for the sake of peace and harmonious living of the people, our petition would be treated with utmost respect and regards for human life,” the statement concluded.
However, the second confirmation is slated for Friday, October 15, 2021.