The Deputy Chair of Corporate Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Bossman Asare has addressed some of the key electoral concerns as the nation prepares for the 2024 general elections.
The conversation delved into the EC’s strategies to restore trust and transparency in the electoral system, especially in light of ongoing disputes between the EC and political parties like the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dr. Asare outlined an important step aimed at enhancing transparency during the upcoming elections, disclosing that for the first time, the Electoral Commission will publish polling station results on their website.
This, he explained, is intended to build trust and allow people to cross-check results before considering legal action.
“The polling station results are something we are going to publish on our website before people want to go to court or test the law“, he stated.
Although this is a new initiative, Dr. Asare noted that the commission is prepared to ensure its smooth execution. When asked whether the results would be published during or after the elections, Dr Asare clarified that the full results would be made available after all polling stations had submitted their data.
“Once we have the full results of all polling stations, then we go ahead and do it.” Dr Asare remarked.
Update on Presidential Nomination Process
Regarding the filing of nominations by presidential candidates, Dr. Asare confirmed that about 23 nominations had been received.
However, he emphasized that the EC was still working on verifying these submissions, stating that a team was scrutinizing each nomination for eligibility based on age, qualifications, and other legal requirements.
He pointed out, “We have a technical team and an IT team working to scrutinize the documents submitted.” According to him, the EC also allows candidates with discrepancies to make corrections, revealing that “A number of them have been written to make amends to certain things they didn’t do right.”
Balloting and Positioning on the Ballot Paper
After the verification of nominations, the next step is balloting for positions on the ballot paper. Dr. Asare detailed how the EC manages the ballot process, with political parties traditionally getting priority over independent candidates.
“Normally, we do the political parties first. If one of the main parties, NPP or NDC, is number 1, automatically in all parliamentary elections, that party is going to be number 1.”
Dr Bossman Asare, Deputy EC Chair in charge of Corporate Services
However, Dr Asare clarified that this did not mean the EC was favoring political parties over independent candidates, but rather maintaining order in the process, adding that “We strongly believe that for good orderly purposes, the parties should go first.“
On the issue of political party registrations, Dr. Asare confirmed that 12 political parties are currently in good standing, stating that the EC had placed nine parties on probation during a recent exercise, but many of them have since addressed the concerns raised.
“Currently, we have 12 political parties that are registered and in good standing,” he confirmed, adding that the Progressive Alliance for Ghana had recently joined the fold.
NDC-EC Tensions and Trust Issues
One of the pressing issues raised during the discussion was the ongoing tension between the EC and the NDC.
Dr. Asare acknowledged the need to restore trust in the electoral process, particularly between the commission and the opposition party. Despite a public invitation to the NDC to return to the discussion table, Dr. Asare admitted that the EC had not received an official response from the party.
“We haven’t written officially, but we believe that having the NDC on the table would go a long way to promote the country’s democracy”, Dr Asare declared.
According to Dr. Asare, in a previous meeting, the EC and the NDC had reached an agreement for the party to provide evidence of discrepancies they had identified in the voter register.
However, the NDC had not yet followed through with this evidence. “We are following up with their elections department, but they haven’t provided the information yet,” Dr. Asare revealed.
Dr. Asare emphasized that restoring trust in the electoral process is a priority for the EC, especially as the 2024 election draws near.
He acknowledged that concerns from political parties, especially the NDC, are essential to ensuring free and fair elections, adding that the EC remains committed to addressing any legitimate grievances while upholding its duty to conduct transparent elections.
“We made it very clear that if we have the NDC on the table, it will go a long way to promote the country’s democracy“, he stressed.
As the EC prepares for the election, Dr. Asare’s comments reflect a commitment to transparency and order in the process, while also highlighting the challenges of building trust with all political stakeholders.
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