The NDC Professionals Forum has kicked against what it says\nis a dangerous move by President Akufo Addo to transfer the Electoral\nCommission\u2019s department on the implementation of the Representation of the\nPeople Amendment Law (ROPAL) to the Office of the President. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This the professional group, most of them staying in the\ndiaspora believes has the capacity of degenerating into chaos. \u201cIt\u2019s really\nappalling to note that the NPP administration has moved the ROPAL department\nfrom the Electoral Commission to the Jubilee house, for reasons best known to\nthemselves\u201d; Director of International Relations of the forum Arnold Appiah\nsaid in an interview with newsmen at his base in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ROPAL Act (699), which provides the opportunity for\nGhanaians, living abroad, to participate in general election in Ghana, was\npassed by Parliament in 2005. However, twelve years down the line, the\nElectoral Commission has not been able to implement it for obvious reasons.
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\nPresident Akufo Addo during the Homecoming Summit in Accra last year, gave the\nassurance that government is determined to provide the needed support to enable\nthe EC to start the implementation processes towards ROPAL. But the pro-NDC\ngroup from their checks have realized that the president had moved the ROPAL\ndepartment at the EC to the Jubilee House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arnold Appiah believes it is clear that the NPP government, looking\nat its abysmal performance is trying to manipulate the system to their\nadvantage and that the NDC would also meet them squarely in any capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to him, the NDC Professionals Forum welcomes the\nidea of ROPAL and that its diaspora wing is ready and willing to partner the EC\nfor the implementation of the law. \u201cAs professionals with highly skilled\nbackground such as university lecturers, researchers, doctors, IT engineers,\nlawyers etc. belonging to the largest opposition party, we are mobilizing our\nsupporters in all parts of the world to take part in the 2020 elections. We\nneed our people to vote and vote massively for the NDC to rescue Ghanaians from\nthe most corrupt, insensitive, incompetent and clueless government in Ghana\u2019s\nhistory\u201d; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further assured that the group would wish to engage the\nEC on the modalities for implementing the law. \n\u201cWhat we\u2019ll seek is transparency, data integrity and assess to allow Ghanaians\nto vote wherever they are in the world. Another major factor we\u2019d like to\nemphasis on is access to the polling center. Whatever means they may intend to\ndeploy must ensure no disenfranchisement\u201d, he concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group is also calling on the National Peace Council and civil society groups to come out and condemn the move by the president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By: Joe Bright Nyarko<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"