The main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has complained to former President Jerry John Rawlings about the potential of non-Ghanaians, specifically Togolese participating in Ghana’s national elections scheduled for December 7 and implored him to help stop it.
The party’s Volta regional chairman, John Peter Amewu, who led a delegation of the NPP’s regional executives to make the complaint during a courtesy call on Mr Rawlings at his office in Accra on Wednesday, said the NPP was concerned because some Togolese have, through illegal means, found their way into Ghana’s register of voters so they could vote for a particular party.
Apart from sharing borders with Ghana along the Volta Region, the francophone country also shares a common language (Ewe) with some Ghanaians.
Making the complaint to Mr Rawlings, Mr Amewu said: “The NPP, as law-abiding citizens, do not intend to stop genuine Ghanaians who reside in Togo coming to Ghana to exercise their democratic right to vote. Instead we are trying to build collaboration between the leaders of the border towns and educate them in understanding the criminal implications and trivialities of the actions of those who are not entitled to vote trying to do so.”
Responding to the party’s complaint, Mr Rawlings told the delegation that he will pass on the concern to the relevant institutions for the necessary action.
Meanwhile, Mr Rawlings has urged all parties contesting in the forthcoming 7 December polls to take the necessary steps to give the assurance that should their party emerge victor, members of the losing parties would have no reason to feel insecure.
The former President who was recently installed Fafa Fia of Anlo (Chief of Peace), called on whoever wins the election to stretch its canopy to all Ghanaians and counseled against any attempt to undermine the electoral process in order to ensure a peaceful outcome.
“ … As much as possible, let’s do everything to maintain the spirit of goodwill.
“Most parties are working towards winning the election and I wish all of you the best. Irrespective of whoever emerges as the winner I hope that the losing parties and their support base will have no reason to feel insecure,” the former President said.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
