The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has called for the dissolution of regional collation centres for the presidential election, further threatening not to accept regional collation of results during elections.
Demanding some level of electoral reforms, Mr Iddrisu explained that collation centres have become bedrock for violence, unfairness and non-transparency during election.
According to the Minority Leader, electoral violence related issues recorded in the country such as that of Techiman, which occurred during the collation and declaration of the results in the last election must be a wake-up call for immediate reforms.
“The NDC as a party is determined to secure and ensure that the sovereign will of the Ghanaian voter is not compromised as we witnessed in the 2020 elections, especially Techiman. Therefore, we are pushing for greater reforms that deepen transparency and allow for more openness, especially in the collation of results.
“We will, therefore, not accept any regional collation of results. For purposes of the conduct of the election, this country is demarcated under Article 45, 46 and 47 of the constitution into electoral boundaries and constituencies. Therefore, collation of results must reflect the polling station and constituency results, not regions”.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu
Electoral reforms by the electoral commission
The National Democratic Congress in the past, recommended to the Electoral Commission ways it can reform electoral processes in the country. Following this, the EC served notice that it will subject the proposal by the opposition party to deliberation at the Interparty Advisory committee meeting.
Wading in on the conversation, the New Patriotic Party demanded the National Democratic Congress apologise to the Electoral Commission if they desired to have their proposed electoral reforms attended to.
The party explained that the EC is supposed to implement the reforms proposed. However, the NDC has remained arrogant and aggressive in their addresses to the EC.
Reacting to the statement by the EC, Mr Iddrisu revealed that the talk must commence as soon as possible. This, he noted, is to ensure there is no cause for worry and suspicion in the 2024 elections.
“We are of the view that there would be zero tolerance for cheating and abuses at collation centres and underhand dealing that seeks to compromise the will of the voter and, therefore, going forward, we will not accept any regional results”.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu
Constitutional instrument for elections
In June last year, Parliament by majority decision, approved the recommendation of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament to adopt its report on the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Regulation, 2020 (C.I. 126).
By a 106-92 majority vote, the constitutional instrument was effected. The Constitutional Instrument 126 that governed the 2020 elections designated regional centres to collate the presidential results for transmission to the national centre.
The C.I. was laid in the House by the Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, on behalf of the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Mensa, on March 16. It was however, withdrawn and re-laid two consecutive times.
Under the election regulation, collation for the presidential election is to be done at the regional centres before transmitting to the National Collation Centre.
The regulation also designates the chairperson of the EC as the returning officer for the presidential polls.
Read Also: IMF Chief, Kristalina Georgieva, accused of manipulating China’s business ranking
