Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has criticized today’s, 19th December 2024, press conference held by Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).
He described the conference as “useless,” questioning its purpose and the intended outcome.
Dr. Omane Boamah expressed doubts about the value of the conference, suggesting that it lacked a clear objective and failed to address critical concerns related to the electoral process.
“Useless Press Conference by Jean Mensah. She has obviously been instructed by NPP to dilute the 2/3 majority of NDC. But she will fail! She must not tempt us beyond our endurance! We mean business!
“At all constituencies where the declaration was not done, the Electoral Commission Ghana must have pink sheets that show that NDC won”.
Dr. Edward Omane Boamah
Omane Boamah further criticized the Electoral Commission (EC) for its refusal to convene an emergency meeting of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), despite the National Democratic Congress (NDC) urging its urgency.
He pointed out that rather than addressing the NDC’s request, the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa, chose to avoid scrutiny by refusing to meet.
Dr. Omane Boamah described this decision as “shameful,” emphasizing that it reflects the EC’s reluctance to engage with critical questions and concerns raised by political parties.
He firmly warned that the NDC will continue to closely monitor the actions of both the EC and the outgoing NPP administration.
He emphasized that the NDC will remain vigilant, particularly in light of the EC’s recent decisions, which the party views as problematic.
The NDC, according to Dr. Omane Boamah, will not let these developments go unchecked.
He maintained that the party will ensure that both the EC and the current government are held accountable for any actions that may undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
Dankwah Urges EC to Address Election Grievances in Court
Furthermore, Mussa Dankwah, the Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, joined the chorus of criticism directed at the Electoral Commission (EC), specifically addressing the EC Chairperson, Madam Jean Mensa.
Dankwah advised Madam Mensa to take any grievances or issues she may have regarding the election process directly to court, rather than publicly airing them.
He expressed concern that the EC’s actions, especially in the face of criticism, should be handled through proper legal channels, allowing the judiciary to address any disputes or disagreements.
“There were two lawyers who decided that they have to head to the court to reclaim what they deemed to be their seats, Patrick Boamah and Mike Oquaye Jr. These lawyers did not petition the EC for redress but stressed that they will head to the court”.
Mussa Dankwah
He further stated that he anticipates the parliamentary seats, which are currently under dispute in court, may remain vacant when the 9th Parliament convenes.
Dankwah also raised concerns about the impact of the ongoing tension, stemming from the delayed results, on the final seat allocation.
He questioned what the NDC’s total parliamentary seats would be if the Electoral Commission ultimately awarded the remaining seats to the NPP.
EC Clarifies Relocation of Collation Centers
Meanwhile, in its recent press conference, the EC explained its decision to relocate the collation centers for 12 constituencies to the National Police Training School (NPTS).
According to EC Chairperson Jean Mensa, this move was made based on recommendations from the Ghana Police Service.
“Due to the threats faced by our staff and the disruption of the processes, the EC agreed with the Ghana Police Service to relocate the collation centers from the Ablekuma North and Okaikwei Central constituencies to the EC’s Greater Accra Regional Office, and it was agreed that each political party will present two agents, and the political parties were notified accordingly.”
Jean Mensa
The decision, she noted, aims to ensure the safety of EC staff and uphold the integrity of the electoral process amidst growing threats and disruptions.
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