The Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, addressed the media following an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting.
Dr. Boamah expressed concerns about the Electoral Commission’s (EC) preparedness, validating stamp usage, the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) as election observers, and the selection process for collation officers.
Dr. Boamah raised alarm over the EC’s readiness for the elections, citing delayed actions on several crucial matters.
“You know the identities of these validating stamps. We just go and replicate them, stamp them ahead of time, and use them, bring them to stuff ballot papers and would create confusion.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Dr. Boamah, however, acknowledged an assurance from the EC that new validating stamps would be used, which he considered a positive step forward.
He also highlighted the EC’s commitment to using indelible ink for voter verification rather than pen markings. He also raised the issue of the media involvement. He noted;
“All we are saying is that we want free, fair, transparent elections. Civil society and media are critical partners, and the success of this election must be anchored in their work.
What is in the mind of the Electoral Commission that you do not even want unfettered access to the media when it comes to collation? And then some credible civil society organizations that also apply, you do not also want to allow them.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Issues with Collation Officers and CI 127 Compliance
A significant point of contention was the EC’s decision to appoint collation officers, which Dr. Boamah argued was a deviation from Constitutional Instrument (CI) 127.
“Per the law, the returning officer is responsible for collation [and] assembling the results. Why do you want to call this person the collation officer?”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Dr. Boamah warned that such nomenclature could create unnecessary conflicts at collation centers. He called for clarity and adherence to the CI, stating;
“With the sunshine that we have put on this issue, their very orientation the people that they have appointed, would make it very clear to them that they are working under the returning officers and whatever they do, must be subsumed under the authority of the returning officers.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Another critical issue raised was the EC’s failure to provide a standardized calculation method;
“We shall demand the Excel formula that they are going to use so that there will be uniformity across the country. In 2020, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission came to inform us about changing denominators, if you recall. So, we need to get the exact formula they are using.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Dr. Boamah rated the EC’s preparedness as 3.7 out of 10, citing several unresolved issues just days before the elections.
He highlighted delays in printing ballots, incomplete lists of polling officers, and ongoing training sessions as indicators of the EC’s lack of readiness.
“We are here, seven days to an election, and some constituencies in the Volta Region we are now going to reprint their ballots. We are here, we do not even know the full complement of the officers who are going to be in charge of the elections.”
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
He criticized the EC for releasing the list of election officers only 10 days before the elections. He questioned; “They could have done it 30 days before, 60 days before. Who stopped them from doing that?”
Dr. Boamah alleged that the EC had appointed individuals affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as election officials in certain constituencies. He emphasized; “In the Ejisu by-election, there were some NPP polling station officials who were parading themselves as electoral officers.”
He assured that the NDC would continue to scrutinize the list of election officials and submit objections where necessary.
Dr. Boamah concluded by reiterating the NDC’s commitment to holding the EC accountable to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections.
He urged the EC to address the outlined concerns promptly to safeguard Ghana’s democracy.
READ ALSO; Kanayo Defends Davido Amid Backlash Over Economic Comment
