The Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Bossman Asare, has reaffirmed the commission’s dedication to transparency and accountability during the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held at the EC headquarters.
The meeting, which brought together political parties and their representatives, focused on issues surrounding accreditation, printing, and distribution of ballot papers ahead of the December 7th polls.
Dr. Asare highlighted the importance of ensuring accuracy in the distribution of ballots across the regions. He stated;
“The essence, as noted, is to ensure full accountability of the ballots and to make sure that the ballots sent to the regions are accurate.”
Dr. Bossman Asare Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC)
He further explained that the EC notifies political parties and presidential candidates in writing to enable them to inform their agents about observing the reprinting of ballots and the destruction of any faulty ones.
Addressing concerns over discrepancies in ballot distribution, He further questioned who identified the errors. Dr. Asare clarified;
“It is the commission staff at the regional level that discovered and reported back to the commission. It is the commission that ordered the reprinting and informed the political parties and the presidential candidates. The commission had nothing to hide.”
Dr. Bossman Asare Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC)
He also outlined that the shortfalls were not isolated to the Volta and Bono regions, which had attracted public attention. Similar discrepancies were identified in other regions, including Greater Accra, Western North, Upper West, Western, and Bono East.
Addressing Public Concerns
Dr. Asare expressed concern about misinformation that could erode public trust in the EC’s operations. He emphasized;
“Why the noise about the shortfalls only in the Volta region? If the commission had anything to hide, it would not transparently call for a reprint of ballots to make up for the shortfalls.”
The commission urges the general public and especially our political parties to disregard acts of mischief by persons whose only objective is to malign the commission and sow seeds of mistrust and doubts.”
Dr. Bossman Asare Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC)
To illustrate the EC’s commitment to transparency, He noted;
“The memo in circulation demonstrates the commission’s resolve to operate above board and in a transparent and accountable manner.”
Dr. Bossman Asare Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC)
He also noted that letters dated November 22 and November 28 detailed the shortfalls in ballot papers for various regions and the steps taken to address them.
The EC Deputy Commissioner explained the institution’s assurance measures kept in place. He remarked;
“Anytime the ballots are sent to the regions, we do another check. And if the checks reveal that there are any shortfalls, automatically we get into action and we print them to make up for the shortfalls.”
Dr. Bossman Asare Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC)
Dr. Asare described this approach as a “quality practice” that the EC intends to maintain in future elections.
He concluded by reiterating the EC’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and transparent dialogue with all stakeholders. He ended;
“We are very grateful for your attention. Now we will give the opportunity to the parties and the agents of the presidential candidates to ask questions or raise any concerns they have thank you very much.”
Dr. Bossman Asare Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC)
The Deputy Commissioner’s address underscored the EC’s commitment to upholding transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
By engaging political parties, addressing public concerns, and adhering to quality assurance measures, the commission seeks to build confidence among stakeholders as the December 7th elections approach.
Dr. Asare’s call for stakeholders to focus on documented facts and avoid being misled by misinformation signals the EC’s determination to conduct a credible and trustworthy election.
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