NPP Parliamentary Primaries Indict Persons Who Engage In Voter Inducement Peter Mac Manu Tells Police Service

Peter Mac Manu, the former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has notified the Ghana Police Service to prosecute all persons who induce voters in the ongoing Parliamentary Primaries.

Mr. Mac Manu made the call ahead of the Elections. According to him, it is not in the power of the NPP to arrest sitting MPs who want to induce voters in order to retain their seats.

He said, “The party is not a law court, but I'm saying it is in the laws of this country and I have quoted the PNDC law to you and so it's for somebody to trigger like the OSP is doing, otherwise you can say it on radio and you can say it on TV, it won't get anywhere but I think that we must act on it and prevent this from becoming a canker in our democratic dispensation”.

He added that, some persons may have reasons for the actions they take and it is most appropriate for the court or the OSP for that matter to find out the reasons and if it falls outside the law, as in PNDC Law 284 then they will deal with it accordingly.

According to the chairman, the con station of Ghana gives a clear standing on inducement, hence the tenets of the law should be applied of anyone who is caught in the act. He emphasized that no one is above the law.

“So, there is a legal aspect of it and the party itself in its rules and regulations governing the elections tomorrow, has put it in place in our code of conduct. So, if people are doing it, I have not seen it but if I see it, I will condemn it or even if I hear it, I will condemn it. Because we should not allow that to creep into our democracy,” Mr Mac Manu admonished.

The PNDCL 284, as amended, frowns upon any acts that suggest bribery or inducement or treating of voters to induce them to vote for a candidate.

Section 33 of the act states that “A person commits the offence of briberymdash; if he directly or acting through another personmdash;gives money or obtains an office for a voter in order to induce the voter to vote or refrain from voting; or corruptly does such an act on account of a voter having voted or refrained from voting; or makes a gift or provides something of value to a voter to induce the voter to vote in a certain way or to acquire the election of a candidate.”

Section 34 of the Law also states that “A person commits the offence of treatingmdash; if he corruptly either himself or through another person, before, during or after an election gives or provides or pays wholly or in part the expenses of giving or providing meat, drink, entertainment or provision to or for any personmdash; for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or another person to vote or refrain from voting.”

The astute politician added, “I'm happy that in the NPP rules and regulations governing tomorrow's parliamentary primaries, there is an item on it that participants and for that matter delegates and contestants should not in any way influence delegates with money, food, camping and this is buttressed by PNDC law 284 section 33-34 which also makes it illegal if you bribe a voter with money, food or anything to vote for you.”Kobina Darlington/