News:
September 14, 2013
New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North, Major Derek Oduro (rtd) says calls for electoral reforms defeats the Supreme Court’s ruling on the dismissed presidential election petition.
He said the majority decision of the court which affirmed John Mahama’s presidency shows that the 2012 elections were free and fair.
Major Derek Oduro was speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Friday.
The Electoral Commission (EC), in a letter dated September 5, 2013, requested political parties to submit proposals for electoral reforms by the end of November, 2013.
This according to the Commission is in response to calls made by civil society groups both home and abroad after the eight months hearing of the election petition.
Even though some political parties have expressed their readiness to dialogue with the EC, the NPP is suspicious of the call.
It fears nothing substantial will be done by the Commission after receiving the proposals, a position Major Derek Oduro reiterated on Ekosii Sen.
According to him, the incessant calls for reforms cast a slur on the credibility and integrity of the judges who heard the case.
The Nkoranza North MP said per the Supreme Court’s decision, nothing went wrong in the 2012 elections and thus calls for reforms is “unnecessary”.
The NPP MP maintained that the status quo in the electoral process should remain the same for the 2016 general elections, “since we now know that elections are won at the polling stations”.
Major Derek Oduro said he will vote for reforms if the EC admits that the 2012 elections were flawed.
Myjoyonline.com