The Director of Elections for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, says the Electoral Commission (EC) cannot wait for an election year to introduce major electoral reforms.
According to him, “You don’t wait for an election year to introduce major Electoral Reforms: a year in which the EC has so much to do after an abysmal District Level (Assembly) Elections characterized by postponements after postponements, shortage of ballot papers, some Election officers complicity among others”.
Dr. Omane Boamah in a Facebook post, cited a few reasons why the Electoral Commission cannot hold Elections in November 2024, stating that the decision to hold an election in November will delay proposals ahead of the polls.
The NDC Director of Elections raised the concerns after the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting with political parties on the EC’s proposal to change the date for the election.
He said even though the National Democratic Congress (NDC), was in favor of the change in the date of the election but it should take effect in 2028.
He explained that the overwhelming consensus at the IPAC meeting was that the Electoral Commission’s major electoral reforms must be implemented in 2028, not in 2024.
He said ‘’In addition, we’re all ready to discuss voting on worship days for a workable solution to satisfy people of faith now.
‘’The EC waited for seven (7) solid years to pass after 2016 without revisiting this issue only to resurrect the subject of voting in November, when Ghana has just ten (10) clear months to the December 07 presidential and parliamentary elections’’.
‘’At IPAC yesterday, if the political parties had accepted the November proposal, that would have meant Ghana has ONLY eight clear months to prepare for the elections. Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission’s calendar of programmes and activities for the upcoming elections is not yet ready; hence, could not be released to political parties. Why wait for January to be ending without stakeholders having the electoral calendar for the 2024 elections?’’ he added.
He was of the view that ‘’Why did the EC not introduce these discussions, adjustments, and amendments in 2017, 2018, and 2019, or better still, why not after the 2020 elections? As in, introducing the subject matter in 2021, 2022, and 2023?’’.
‘’You don’t wait for an election year to introduce major Electoral Reforms: a year in which the EC has so much to do after an abysmal District Level (Assembly) Elections characterized by postponements after postponements, shortage of ballot papers, some Election officers complicity among others. Recall the chaotic Limited Registration of Voters in 2023,’’ he added.
‘’Did you know that another voter registration exercise must take place this year? Yet, because the EC’s calendar of activities is not ready, we are left guessing. Also, recall the frequent breakdown of EC’s equipment and network (system) during the limited registration exercise in 2023, which necessitated shifting to offline registration in some cases. These developments cast some doubts about the procurement of services and equipment and must be investigated and fixed’’.
‘’Besides, to vote for MPs in November, the EC needs an amendment to the 1992 constitution, Article 112(4). This amendment of a non-entrenched clause requires two-thirds of MPs to pass, meanwhile, the MPs themselves must be in their constituencies for some parts of this year campaigning, and facilitating the registration of voters when the EC finally decides. Not to think of the duration of the process and other germane issues the EC must bring to the front burner’’.
He further suggested that going forward: ‘’The EC must immediately release the calendar of activities for 2024. The EC must be focusing on urgent and important activities that will enhance the integrity of the December 07, 2024 elections’’.
He added that ‘’The EC must be seen to be punishing erring EC officers who rig elections for contestants and the EC must also be punishing the EC officer in Nandom who openly declared his NPP affiliation during last weekend’s NPP primaries’’.
‘’As was made abundantly clear at the IPAC meeting, we do not expect the EC to wait for another election year to reintroduce this major reform of voting in November. The process must end the latest by 2027 to allow political actors enough time in 2028 to concentrate on core concerns in an election year,” he stated.
-BY Daniel Bampoe