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I Don’t Trust Ghana's Electoral Commission To Deliver In 2016 – Ken Agyapong

November 17, 2014

Speaking to SaharaTV’s Kwesi Baako, Mr. Agyapong decried the practice where the Electoral Commissioner is appointed by the president. He said any president given this opportunity would definitely choose a candidate favorable to him. “The problem we have with the constitution when it comes to the EC is allowing the President to appoint the Commissioner” he posited. He said changing the EC boss is not likely to bring any real change since President Mahama is likely to appoint another EC boss who is sympathetic to his (Mahama’s) cause.

Maverick Ghanaian legislator, Kennedy Agyapong says he does not trust the country’s Electoral Commission (EC) to run a free and fair election come 2016. Mr. Agyapong who is the Member of Parliament for Assin Central and a leading member of the opposition New Patriotic Party says the EC is biased towards the governing National Democratic Congress. “NPP will do everything to make sure that the election is conducted fairly, but [in] a situation where you have all government officials to be corrupt, all government officials to be afraid; all government officials to support the government then you cannot assure whatever effort NPP puts in to get fair election”, he said.

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Every Institution In Ghana Is Corrupt

Speaking to SaharaTV’s Kwesi Baako, Mr. Agyapong decried the practice where the Electoral Commissioner is appointed by the president. He said any president given this opportunity would definitely choose a candidate favorable to him.

“The problem we have with the constitution when it comes to the EC is allowing the President to appoint the Commissioner” he posited. He said changing the EC boss is not likely to bring any real change since President Mahama is likely to appoint another EC boss who is sympathetic to his (Mahama’s) cause.

Mr. Agyapong who was picked up by police for making inciting statements during the Election 2012 Supreme Court proceedings said he still stands by his statements and by the infamous “All die be die” mantra attributed to NPP presidential hopeful Nana Akufo Addo. Nana Addo is purported to have asked his supporters to fight back if supporters of the NDC attacked them during the elections. Though many pundits believe this cost the NPP votes, Mr. Agyapong says it is still the way to go. He however added that he did not wish any violence on the country. “I have been to Liberia, Sierra Leone and the rest so I don’t think its good for the country; I don’t support that kind of violence, but you don’t wait for it to happen. That’s my argument”, he said.

Offering his thoughts on the economy and the NDC’s stewardship in government, Mr. Agyapong said corruption has become endemic under President Mahama.

“President Mahama and his government, their understanding of governance is stealing”, he said.

He however added that institutions in the country are also to blame for some of the problems and only God can discipline Ghanaian leaders. “Probably he (God) has to line up all the politicians in the country; give President Mahama 24 lashes, the ministers 18 lashes and parliamentarians including myself, 12 lashes…We have a lot of stooges” he complained.

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