6 Ballot Boxes Missing In WR

Freddie Blay flanked by Charles Bissue (left) and Mr Ndedesiah

The Western Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it suspects foul play after six ballot boxes of the Electoral Commission (EC) fell off a truck conveying them to Tarkwa-Nsueam Constituency.

They were meant to be used for the December 7 polls in the constituency.

The NPP claimed there could be dire consequences if the six ballot boxes get into the wrong hands on Wednesday, December 7, general elections.

According to the NPP, the incident occurred when the six boxes, which were part of a bulk of about 44, were being transported from the Western Regional head office of the EC in Sekondi to the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency.

Addressing a press conference in Takoradi on Saturday, the Regional Secretary of the party, Charles Onuawonto Bissue, explained that on November 16, 2016, his outfit had information that when the EC’s vehicle conveying the ballot boxes got to its final destination, it was realized that six of the boxes had vanished into thin air.

He said it was alleged that the boxes fell off from the vehicle between Ankyernyin and Beaho, all communities in the Ahanta West District of the region.

“So the Regional NPP executives quickly went to the Tarkwa police station to report the case but we were told that the place where the boxes purportedly fell off under the jurisdiction of the Kwesimintsim Police,” he disclosed.

He stated that “on Friday when we visited the Kwesimitsim police station we were told that officials from the EC had reported the case and that the police had begun investigations to unravel circumstances under which the boxes got missing.”

He added, “As a political party we are not happy. As a result, we have called for a regional executive committee meeting to look into the matter.

“The reason is that as a political party we are trying to restore democratic integrity into our electoral processes.”

He pointed out that “there were so many suspicions in view of the fact that people do not trust the EC now. “We are helping the EC to restore integrity but it appears the EC does not want it.

“If ballot boxes to the various constituencies could get missing, then how much more ballot papers, which are smaller?”

The regional NPP scribe explained that the EC has a policy that five percent of the ballot papers would be added to the voter population in each constituency, but indicated that it’s not the case in some constituencies in the region.

Mr. Bissue alleged that the EC had printed adequate ballot papers for the parliamentary elections in Sekondi, an NPP stronghold, contrary to its own rules that allows for only five percent extra ballot papers.

“In the Sekondi Constituency, for instance, the ballot papers are in excess of about 168 of the parliamentary papers which we need to look into. So we want to help the EC to do a good job,” he averred.

Mr. Bissue called on all the constituency executives to go to the district EC offices to audit all the ballot papers, count them book by book and page by page to ascertain what is happening there.

Freddie Blay

The Acting Chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay, noted that the party will win the December 7 polls and have overwhelming majority seats in parliament.

“I know the various constituencies in the region are working hard and all things being equal, we are very convinced that the NPP will be victorious in the upcoming general election,” he stressed.

Mr Blay stated, “The government of the day, led by John Mahama, has performed badly. The ordinary Ghanaian says there is the need for change and change we can assure you is coming.”

He, therefore, appealed to the party faithful across the country to be extra vigilant during the elections.

EC Reacts 

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has reacted to the issue of the missing ballot boxes, saying that it would replace the six that supposedly fell off a pickup and went missing.

In a post on its official Facebook page, the EC stated, “For the six empty ballot boxes that fell off the pickup truck in the Western Region, a report has been made to the police. They will be replaced by the Commission before election day.”

Speaking to journalists, the Western Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Stephen Opoku Mensah, confirmed the incident and indicated that the boxes had not been stolen but fell off the commission’s moving truck.

“Yes; the incident that the NPP is talking about happened; but not that it was stolen. Six empty boxes fell off on the road when they were being transported; but the police are looking into the matter,” he explained.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi

 

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