Kennedy Agyapong, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Francis Addai-Nimoh
The Presidential Election Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued guidelines for the November 4, 2023 primaries, which say there shall be no camping of delegates among others.
The guidelines also noted that accreditation will be constituency specific, and that voters are expected to “walk-in” freely by themselves, except physically challenged persons who may be assisted.
“A voter must wait to be cleared before entering the perimeter-queue control. No voter shall wear the colour or effigy of a contestant at the voting centre (i.e. T-shirts, cap, posters of contestants),” the committee said in a statement.
The statement, signed by William Yamoah, Secretary of the Committee, said delegates shall not be allowed to enter the voting screen or booth in groups or in pairs, and that voting shall not take place indoors but in an open place in the full glare of the public.
“It is an offence for non-accredited persons to enter the voting perimeter,” the guidelines pointed out and added, “A delegate who has already cast his/her vote shall not be re-admitted into the voting perimeter.”
“Any person found directing a delegate on which contestant to vote for commits an offence and shall be removed by the police.
“No contestant will appoint government officials or any delegate listed to vote in the presidential elections as agents,” the guidelines stated.
According to the committee, these guidelines have been formulated after extensive discussions and consultations with various stakeholders, including the presidential aspirants.
The committee noted that all presidential candidates and the committee members unanimously endorsed the guidelines as an acceptable document for the conduct of the presidential primaries on November 4, 2023.
“We acknowledge with sincere gratitude the unwavering cooperation from all stakeholders as we pursue an equitable, impartial, and transparent process to elect a presidential candidate for the 2024 general elections,” it said.
The committee asserted that the Electoral Commission of Ghana shall supervise the conduct of the elections and shall have the full responsibility of ensuring a transparent, free and fair election.
“No persons, whether government, party official or otherwise whatsoever, shall act in contravention to the Electoral Commission and these guidelines.
“Security activities rest exclusively with the police, and access beyond security perimeters is restricted to delegates, Presidential Elections Committee members, contestants and their accredited agents,” the committee pointed out.
The election, according to the committee, will take place on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at all the 276 constituencies across the country and the NPP’s Headquarters at Asylum Down.
The committee also indicated that a voting centre can have more than one polling station but on the same premises, depending on the number of delegates, adding that the threshold shall not exceed 1,000 delegates.
It said delegates shall not take phones to the voting perimeters and it is an offence to take a picture of any vote or show to any person or to the public who a person has voted.
“The police shall arrest such a person.Any vote that had been shown to the public shall be nullified,” the committee stated.
The committee, however, said agents of the contestants are allowed or permitted to have their phones.
The Electoral Commission and the Police shall deny influencers, machomen and undesignated persons, access to the voting centres.
By Ernest Kofi Adu