The Deputy Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Malik Basintale has passionately reiterated the party’s confidence in winning the 2024 elections.
He emphasized the NDC’s belief in the legitimacy of their victories, the challenges they have faced in past elections, and their strategies for ensuring future success.
Malik Basintale argued that the NDC trust in democratic principles. He emphasized; “Anytime there is a free and fair election, the NDC wins,” he said, highlighting the party’s trust in democratic principles.
However, reflecting on the 2000 elections, Malik Basintale admitted that dynamics were different during that period.
“People still saw Jerry Rawlings as a soldier man and people still saw [that year] to be an era of military regime,” he noted, suggesting this perception might have contributed to the NDC’s loss in 2000.
Malik Basintale discussed the controversial 2016 elections, in which the NDC lost. He alleged that the system was compromised, affecting the outcome.
“The system shut down. The Electoral Commission confirmed that their systems were hacked,” he claimed.
According to him, internal research conducted by the NDC revealed that the hacking influenced the results, despite the EC not explicitly admitting to this.
He further alleged that electoral fraud continued into subsequent elections, including 2020. He pointed out;
”You take the register open to a constituency, then you realize that one person name has been repeated in polling station A and repeated in polling station B. What that meant was that such a person could have voted in A and voted in B. That was why a lot of the times we had a vote pardon occurring because you would find out that you had a total population of 500 then they finish voting and you find 700 in the box.’’
Malik Basintale Deputy Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
He pointed out, describing it as a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters. This irregularity was one of many that the NDC identified.
To counter these alleged manipulations, the NDC adopted a two-pronged strategy, campaigning on policies and ensuring vigilance at polling stations.
Malik Basintale revealed that during the 2024 elections, the party discovered over 1,000,000 pre-thumb-printed ballot papers in the Ashanti Region. He added;
“Our national organizer, Joseph Yamin, discovered the papers and reported them to the police. And there are investigations ongoing.’’
Malik Basintale Deputy Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
He expressed satisfaction with the party’s decisive victory in the 2024 elections. “We knew we were going to win with a large margin,” he said confidently, attributing their success to grassroots engagement and addressing voter concerns.
He described visits to constituencies such as Anyaa-Sowutuom, Binduri, and Dome Kwabenya, where the NDC overturned traditional strongholds of the NPP.
He also highlighted the role of research in predicting the outcome. “Musa Dankwa, a respected pollster, affirmed our chances early on,” he noted, adding that internal data and voter feedback also indicated a strong likelihood of victory.
The Future of NDC Electoral Campaigns
Looking ahead, he stressed the importance of vigilance and transparency in future elections.
He called for reforms within the Electoral Commission to ensure credibility, particularly concerning the voters’ register and electronic systems. Malik Basintale also addressed public concerns about election rigging. He reiterated;
“We’ve had systems in place that continue to rig elections in favor of our opponents, but with vigilance, we’ve overcome these challenges.’’
Malik Basintale Deputy Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
The NDC’s confidence in electoral victory is rooted in their belief in fairness and their vigilance in countering irregularities.
By focusing on grassroots engagement, policy-driven campaigns, and addressing challenges in the electoral process, the party has set its sights on maintaining its relevance and dominance in Ghanaian politics.
