The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta region has cautioned the Deputy Volta regional Minister, Johnson Avuletey and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to desist from interfering in the work of the Electoral Commission.
This is contained in a statement issued yesterday by the NDC alleging that Mr. Avuletey and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ketu South stormed the Tagbato Kpordoave registration center and halted the registration process for over an hour.
The decision to halt the process, the NDC says was because the two gentlemen claimed “they disagreed with the use of the cards of new registrants to guarantee for others and did not understand why two registration officers should man the offline centre”
The NDC also alleged that the Minister threatened the Electoral Officer with an “immediate transfer or removal” if he failed to do his bidding.
The NDC expressed worry with the development and questioned the basis for the actions of the Deputy Regional Minister and the MCE considering the EC is an autonomous body that is not answerable to government
“Why would a responsible sitting Minister of state who is charged with the statutory obligation of protecting the sanctity of our laws and institutions be engaging in such wanton and reckless disrespect for same institutions?”
“Do Mr. Avuletey And his NPP lieutenants now determine what mode of registration the EC must use to register new voters into the electoral roll? Or do they decide how many officials should man a registration Center?”
“Is it the case, perhaps, that the Deputy Volta Regional Minister is under a certain misguided illusion that the Electoral Commission is an extension of his office, and so he could intimidate and threaten them at will?”
The NDC has therefore advised the governing party and its assigns to learn to follow laid down procedures in presenting their grievances indicating they will not tolerate any such actions during the exercise.
Story by: Karen Quaye/Radiogoldlive.com
