Investigating the 2020 elections will help us in subsequent elections – Kofi Adams

The Member of Parliament for the Buem Constituency, Hon Kofi Adams has argued that a thorough investigation into the events of the 2020 elections would enhance and guide subsequent elections in the country.

According to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP, the Minority request for a bi-partisan committee is to set things right on the part of the rules and regulations of the electoral process.

In an interview with Don Kwabena Prah on Happy98.9 FM’s “Epa Hoa Daben” socio-political talk show, indicated foul play by the Electoral Commission of Ghana with regards to rules and operations in the previous elections.

“Our motion to the Speaker of Parliament is to address some of the incidents that happened in the 2020 elections. Some of these incidents had to do with issues of the law regarding our elections which the Electoral Commission didn’t conform to. Some also had to do with operational related issues and we ought to raise questions on them. The investigations will then show how to conduct and address our electoral issues in future. We are not asking the committee to come out with winners and losers nor change the elections for anyone whether at the constituency level or national and presidential level,” he said.

“The committee will probe into a number of issues. The Electoral Commission brought a letter to the House of Parliament before the 2020 elections for us to agree and process it into a law to guide our electoral process. Instead on the 7th of December the forms attached to the bill called the schedules later known as the C.I 127 was a different one that was sent to the results coalition. If we do this investigations properly, the outcome will help our future elections. Why would you bring something to Parliament for us to deliberate and agree only for you to use a different form for the job? Why would there be multiple results for a coalition? Why was there erratic chaos on some of the polling stations and coalition centers? Why did a printing company print ballot papers in essence?” he quizzed.

*Background*

Five NDC MPs have filed a private members motion requesting Parliament to constitute a bi-partisan committee to thoroughly review the processes and the procedures adopted by the Electoral Commission in the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Minority MPs also want the Committee to inquire whether the Electoral Commission introduced ballot papers that were pre-thumb-printed and bore the stamp of the commission into the system.

The sponsors of the bill are Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak, MP for Bolga East, Dr. Dominic Ayine, MP for Akatsi South, Bernard Ahiafor, Buem MP, Kofi Adams and MP for Salaga South, Zuweira Ibrahimah.
The committee is expected to investigate the alleged procurement breaches in the Thales contract for the Biometric Verification Devices among other concerns.