The ballot papers without the NPP initials (left) and the notice of poll which has the initials (right)
THE BALLOT papers for the parliamentary election in the Ashanti Region do not capture the initials of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
However, the initials of the other political parties, including the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), were boldly captured on the ballot papers, printed by the Electoral Commission (EC).
The incident had angered the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Wontumi, who has urged the EC to withdraw the ballot papers and print new ones that would capture the NPP’s initials.
He has also appealed to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the National Chief Imam, the Peace Council and the various missions in the country to intervene so that the EC does the right thing to ensure peace.
Ballot Papers
All the ballot papers have the pictures and names of the various contestants. The initials and logos of the various political parties were also boldly captured so as to make easy identification for voters.
The NPP leadership believes the omission is a calculated attempt by the EC to let the party lose votes in the region.
NPP
Wontumi stated that he sensed something fishy in the omission of the NPP’s initials on the ballot papers. He said he suspects that the EC intentionally did that to reduce the NPP’s votes.
He recollected that the notice of polls, which was also printed by the EC earlier, has the initials of the NPP boldly captured on it, noting that he is surprised the party’s initials had been dropped from the ballot papers.
Without mincing words, he said the NPP would not allow the ballot papers to be used for the impending parliamentary polls on December 7, and has tasked the EC to immediately replace them with proper ballot papers that would have the party’s initials.
According to him, the NPP suffered several injustices at the hands of the EC during the 2012 elections, which the party controversially lost, noting that the NPP had learnt its lessons and so the EC could not take them for a ride again.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi