THE Electoral Commission (EC) and two political parties were yesterday sharply divided over the procurement process and selection of a vendor for the supply of equipment for the intended biometric voters registration.
While the representatives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and People’s National Convention (PNC) took issue with legality of the procurement process, the EC maintained that the process for selection of a supplier was within the ambit of the law.
However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was of the view that its representative was invited to observe a demonstration exercise by companies shorted-listed for the biometric voters registration and not to make comments, contributions and arguments.
It all began when the EC extended invitation to the political parties to observe demonstration by companies short listed for the biometric voters registration, note down points of concern and make observation for discussion at the next Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) forum.
Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Mr Bernard Mornah, representatives of the NPP and PNC respectively, who arrived at the demonstration grounds at the EC offices in Accra when the process had already begun, were requested to sign a code that they would not talk, question or make comment but only observe and make notes, a situation they described as an affront to their constitutional rights to seek information.
Before the demonstration could end, the two representatives challenged the legality of the entire process because, according to them, the EC had informed them that one of the companies which was disqualified had taken the issue to the Public Procurement Authority which had also ordered EC to stop the procurement process until the apparent irregularities were resolved.
However, Mr David Adenze Kangah, Deputy EC Chairman, said the EC was going on with the process despite the intervention of the Public Procurement Authority because under the Procurement Law, organisations like the EC could proceed with such process if the process was of major national importance and time bound.
Apparently not satisfied with the arguments of the EC, the representatives of the NPP and PNC staged a walkout but Mr Hamid Girdo, the Electoral Advisor on Electoral Issues for the NDC and representatives from the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and the EGLE stayed throughout the observation period because that was what the letter inviting them stated.
Mr Girdo said he and his colleagues from the DFP and the EGLE stayed because they were made aware that only two companies which were shortlisted were making the demonstration after which the one that met the requirement would be selected.
Therefore, he said, there was no need to make comment at such a gathering and that they were aware that they would have the opportunity at an IPAC forum to express their views, concerns and make comments.
Explaining to the Daily Graphic, Mr David Adenze Kangah noted that the political parties were never invited to any meeting but to only observe the demonstration by companies shortlisted and note down points of concern, contributions and other observations for discussion in the next Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) forum.
Expatiating further, Mr Mornah said after turning a deaf ear to the persistent calls for an urgent IPAC forum on the intended biometric registration from both the PNC and the NPP, the EC on Monday wrote to the parties to participate in the observations of the process the following day.
He said to their surprise, when they got to the EC premises they were asked to sign a code that they would not talk, question or make any comment but only observe and make notes, a situation he described as an affront to his constitutional right to seek information.
He said although the political parties were not part of and would not be interested in participating in the procurement process, as major stakeholders in the electoral process they had to ensure that there was proper improvement in the biometric process.
Dr Opoku-Prempeh explained on an Accra radio station that while the political parties would not want to be part of the procurement processes by the EC, their views must be heard in the selection and undertaking of the biometric registration process.
“I would rather walk out and go and tell my party that the EC is taking this country down a path that may not be well for us,” he said.
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