Election date change: NDC’s ‘lack of consistency in principles’ shocks Kweku Baako

Seasoned journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has questioned the National Democratic Congress’ position on the proposal for a change of election date from December 7.

The Electoral Commission has been petitioned by Seventh Day Adventists to change the December 7 date to November and the election to fall on a Monday or Tuesday as they argue the current date conflicts with their religious faith.

They argue conducting the election on December 7 will disrupt their Sabbath Day which is sacred for them.

The Electoral Commission has accepted the proposal and pre-informed the political parties and Ghanaians about their resolve to change the date this year.

But the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has objected to the petition asking the EC to start the process in 2028.

Analyzing the issues on Peace FM’s morning show “Kokrokoo”, Kweku Baako chronicled the origin of the proposal for election date change in Ghana.

He alluded to the late Atta Mills government instituting a Constitutional Review Committee which recommended for the change and this was brought before Parliament, fully supported by the then NDC, but failed to come into effect because the ruling New Patriotic Party opposed it when they were in Minority.

“The Minority then did not give them the numbers,” he stated, adding “in actual fact, it’s the conduct of the Minority then that did not make this thing materialize”.

He wondered why the same NDC which once supported the election date, is today against it coming into force this year and calling for it to be pushed to 2028.

Mr. Baako called out the NDC saying they are no strangers to the blueprint for the change of the election date.

“Based on this document I have here, by April 2015, all the parties had agreed to this…If there is the commitment, they would have carried forward this commitment they made in this document to Parliament…They all believed in this,” he said.

He continued, “They know all the basics. There’s nothing novel…They’ve had enough time. What are the outstanding issues? What new thing has been introduced that makes it so difficult, and because of that, we have to push it to 2028?”

“If one has to be brutally frank, this is politics without principles. It is lack of consistency in principles. Today, it’s turn around; it’s now the NDC that is opposed to this thing and giving all sorts of reasons,” he slammed the NDC and advised, saying, “amidst a lack of principles across the political divide, we must be honest and say some of these things direct to all of them”.

On his stance on the proposal, Kweku Baako asserted, “This thing must be done. It can and must be done. We also have the experience to show that when the transition is so tight, so close, it creates problems. So, take religion out, but the principle is clear.”