Political analyst, Dr Jonathan Asante Otchere, has commended the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for setting up a committee to investigate allegations of vote-buying and inducement during the party’s recent Ayawaso East parliamentary primary.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, February 9, Dr Otchere described the move as an important and timely step toward addressing what he called the growing culture of voter inducement in Ghana’s political landscape.
“It is probably the very first time that the two main parties, at the national level, have decided to look into this particular issue.
“I think that the decision that the NDC has taken is quite good… they [NDC] have shown concern.” The president also has shown concern,” he stated.
According to the Executive Director of the African Institute of Strategic Studies, vote-buying—regardless of how it is framed—remains unacceptable and condemnable.
“There is not a single soul within our body politic that will say that they agree when it comes to voter inducement, whether you call it vote buying or whichever way you look at it,” he noted.
Dr Otchere warned that inducements during internal party elections have gradually become a “soft culture,” raising concerns about the integrity of Ghana’s democratic processes.
He said the practice is no longer isolated, suggesting that the issue may be more widespread than often acknowledged.
“It is not a single person who got involved in such a situation. Other pockets are deeper than others, and that is probably why this has become a problem,” he stated.
While praising the NDC’s decision, Dr Otchere stressed that the investigation must be fair and transparent, and should not assume guilt before the committee completes its work.
“At the end of the day, we should be able to see a report that, in the eyes of the public, is worth reading,” he added.
The three-member committee investigating the vote-buying claim has commenced its work and is expected to conclude its investigations and recommend appropriate sanctions if individuals are found culpable by February 10.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
