Franklin Cudjoe warns political parties against trusting EC

Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa, has cautioned political parties not to rely on the Electoral Commission’s (EC) impartiality.

Franklin Cudjoe reason

Cudjoe’s worries surfaced after the EC announced its decision to remove political party representatives from the ongoing vote transfer process, citing violent conflicts at certain transfer centers.

Previously, the NDC urged its agents to ignore this directive, indicating rising tensions.

Franklin Cudjoe in expressing his views, emphasized the importance of political parties overseeing the process, claiming that the EC cannot be relied on to perform it honestly without their involvement.

In a Facebook post on June 3, 2024, he criticized the EC’s directive, calling it absurd for any political party agent or leader to trust the EC to transfer votes in their absence.

Franklin Cudjoe emphasized the possible hazards to the integrity of the vote transfer procedure without sufficient monitoring, citing the EC’s track record of incompetence and unreliability. Cudjoe emphasized the significance of openness and equity, arguing that the Electoral Commission should be accountable to its core stakeholders.

Franklin Cudjoe on the EC’s leadership

Cudjoe’s cynicism extended to the EC’s leadership, which he described as the most inept in the public sector. He criticized their previous conduct, citing dishonesty and mismanagement. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) criticized the Electoral Commission directive as unconstitutional.

During an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the NDC’s Director of Elections and Information Technology, aired this critique.

He advocated for wider consultation with political parties during decision-making processes.

Dr. Boamah also advocated for increased security measures to prevent violence in future voting processes, citing the recent Kasoa incident that resulted in four injuries over the weekend.