GBA Warns EC

… Says Frequent Resort To Supreme Court Means It Is Getting Certain Fundamentals Wrong

From Michael Boateng, Sunyani
The Brong-Ahafo Regional Chapter of the Ghana Bar Association has noted that the constant and frequent resort to the Supreme Court over electoral issues means the Electoral Commission (EC) is getting certain fundamentals wrong, especially when it is being seen as not giving hearing to certain groups.

Mr Tuah-Yeboah, the president of the regional branch of the association has, therefore, called on the Electoral Commission to play its referee role more effectively and ensure the organization of free, fair, transparent, credible and generally acceptable elections to raise the nation's democratic credentials a few notches higher.

President of the Brong-Ahafo Chapter of Ghana Bar Association was speaking at this year's   Martyrs' Day commemoration, which was held at the ELIM CITY Church in Sunyani.

He noted that to organize more effective and more acceptable polls, the EC must listen to all shades of opinions and suggestions without being perceived or seen to be charting the course of one group to the detriment of other groups.

The Regional President recounted that from 1992, when Ghana decided to embrace democracy, the EC has held six general elections.

“Six elections, I believe, are enough to give some reasonable experience and remarkable maturity to organize a seventh general election which would definitely be an improvement upon the last one whose results were fiercely contested in court,” he said.

“From opaque ballot boxes to transparent ballot boxes, from manual registration to biometric registration, from non-photo ID Cards to photo ID cards, from the writing of the stolen verdict in 1992 to the Supreme Court decision of 2013, it is clear that Ghana has come a long way and nothing should be done by the EC as the referee to derail the onward stride towards democratic development”, he added.

Mr. Tuah-Yeboah said the African continent is replete with several examples of the devastating consequences of electoral malpractices, and that e Ghanaians do not want to join that bandwagon of elections, which only make mockery of democracy and  puts the continent into the spotlight for all the bad reasons.

He expressed the hope that the EC would take a cue from its sister Commissions elsewhere and learn from the mistakes they have made in the past with their attendant dangers for their own peoples.

“We have come a long way in our democratic journey- 59 years of independence, five coup d'etats, 24 continuous years of constitutional democracy, we have come a long way and must learn our lessons accordingly otherwise we shall be compelled to learn them the hard way,” he stressed.

The Regional President of Ghana BAR Association indicated that the three gallant soldiers of the Rule of Law, Justice Fred Poku Sarkodie, Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addow and Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong, who died in the line of duty performed their judicial duty without fear or favour because they stood for justice.

He said the three justices bore in mind that their oath of office required them to stand for the truth because truth will always prevail over falsehood no matter how long it takes. “They knew that injustice and falsehood would only serve the parochial and selfish interest of just a disgruntled few or minority and not the general wellbeing of the entire society” Mr. Tuah-Yeboah added.

According to him, as the three justices are being celebrated, there is a clarion call to all to strive in whatever enterprise one finds him/herself to fight for justice no matter the cost or price involved.

According to Mr. Tuah-Yeboah, challenges remain in the quest to attain justice but those challenges should be to all, a call to action but not a cause for despair.

Present at the ceremony were Justice Obiri Francis of the Human Rights Court in Kumasi and Justice Amos Buertey, Supervising High Court Judge of Sunyani.