Dr James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called “Kabilla”, has called on the Electoral Commission to publish its time table to give a clear roadmap towards the amendment of the election date.
The Editor of the National Forum newspaper has been advocating a change in the election date from Saturday, December 7 to Tuesday in November.
His argument and the likes of him who support the amendment is that the December 7 date disrupts the sabbath day of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and also believe a Tuesday in the month of November will be much more convenient for every Ghanaian electorate.
However, the opposition National Democratic Congress, though supports the change, they want the reform to commence in 2028.
Former President John Mahama also raised concerns about the election date change saying “after every election, we sit and consider electoral reforms and we agree on what to do. Since 2020, we have only 9 months to another election and the EC has now come with major changes. No indelible ink and different reforms. When you do that it doesn’t build the confidence of the people in the electoral process”.
“We have returned to IPAC after the Peace Council intervened and now they [EC] are saying they want to change the Election date and that they want to bring a new CI to change the old CI but our concern is why wait till now? You don’t spring surprises on people, what if it doesn’t work and it leads to some disturbances…so that is our position”, he added.
Touching on the issue during Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show, Kabilla was of a strong view that their petition to the Electoral Commission has received a warm welcome but, to him, instead of the process beginning in 2028 as proposed by the NDC; the Commission must rather start working towards the amendment from this year.
“I think that the NDC has been committed to this amendment process more than anybody and I will tell you why. In 2016 which is the only time that this process was sent to Parliament was under the NDC…The NDC position is that we should do the process but its implementation in 2024 is a no, no. Some of us also have the position that if you accept that we should do it, then let’s begin the process now and if it turns out that there is a tight calendar, nobody will push it”, he said.
He implored the Chairpersons of the Commission to consider his submissions saying “let the Electoral Commission publish its time table from today incorporating this thing and the parliamentary calendar to give everyone clear lines” regarding the amendment…The time to do right is always now”.
Source: peacefmonline.com
