In a timely reminder to the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), through its Director of IT and Elections, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, has reiterated the party’s demands for accountability following significant revelations about systemic vulnerabilities in the 2024 Provisional Voters Register.
Dr. Boamah, in his remarks, underscored the party’s concerns over potential manipulation of the electoral process ahead of the December 7, 2024, general elections.
“Exactly one week ago, the National Democratic Congress published our position on the 2024 Provisional Voters Register and the EC’s IT System in a press statement.
“The press statement was a sequel to the Special Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting that was held on Tuesday, 1st October 2024, to deliberate on the 2024 Provisional Voters Register at the Alisa Hotel. Needless to say, the live coverage of that IPAC meeting followed a demand we made ahead of the meeting”.
Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Director of IT and Elections of the NDC
Dr Omane Boamah strongly asserted that the meeting exposed troubling admissions by the EC regarding errors in the voters’ register. He claimed that the Electoral Commission admitted to several critical errors during the meeting.
Among these errors, according to Dr Omane Boamah is the criminal transfers of voters, asserting that due to the absence of a “liveliness test,” the EC admitted that some voters had been criminally transferred across constituencies.
He also indicated that files within the EC’s system were found to be corrupted, though the Commission claimed to have rectified and restored these errors.
Other errors include previous transfers of voters which he claimed had been mistakenly added to the 2024 transfers, compounding the discrepancies in the register and the EC’s disclosure that some voters had been erroneously deleted, prompting the creation of a separate “Missing Voters Register.”
Perhaps most concerning of the errors according to Dr Omane Boamah was the EC’s acknowledgement of its IT system’s susceptibility to systemic manipulation and unauthorized access by both officials and non-officials with login credentials.
These revelations, according to Dr. Boamah, are not simply mistakes but evidence of potential systemic manipulation.
“With this background, the Functional Executive Committee of the NDC deliberated and decided to accept the EC’s promise to release to political parties, the updated version of the 2024 Provisional Voters Register for scrutiny”.
Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Director of IT and Elections of the NDC
NDC’s Demands: Re-Exhibition and IT System Audit
The NDC’s IT and Elections Director further reiterated the party’s call for re-exhibition of the updated voters’ register, a process he insisted must be conducted both online and at physical exhibition centres across the country.
He also reaffirmed the party’s demands for an independent multi-stakeholder and interparty audit of the EC’s IT system to identify and rectify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by bad actors to compromise the integrity of the upcoming elections.
“We shall not tolerate anything less than a clean voters register,” Dr. Boamah emphasized. He further warned that without this thorough audit, the credibility of the December 7, 2024, presidential and parliamentary elections would remain in jeopardy.
Concerns Over Printing of Ballots
Beyond the integrity of the register, Dr Omane Boamah raised concerns regarding the printing of ballot papers and election materials. He reminded the EC that ballot statistics should be derived from a certified voters’ register, not a provisional one.
He also cautioned the Commission to strictly adhere to the Public Procurement Act in selecting printers for the 2024 elections, warning against any attempts to bypass due process.
The party further challenged the Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission to shed any partisan affiliations, particularly with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), to uphold the impartiality expected of a constitutional body tasked with safeguarding the nation’s democracy.
As Ghana approaches a pivotal election, Dr Boamah stressed that the responsibility now lies with the Electoral Commission and the New Patriotic Party administration to protect the sanctity of the process.
“The ball is in the court of the Electoral Commission and the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led NPP government that seeks to destroy Ghana’s democracy through dubious manipulation of the voters register and the processes leading up to the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections”.
Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Director of IT and Elections of the NDC
In his concluding remarks, Dr Edward Omane Boamah issued a stern warning that the NDC would not relent in its pursuit of a transparent and fair electoral process.
He underscored the party’s resolve to hold the EC accountable, stating emphatically: “We shall not tire! We shall not falter!! We shall not relent!!! We shall not rest!!!!”
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