Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah
The Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday (Monday) dismissed reports that it printed a wrong logo for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the parliamentary ballot sheets.
A statement by the Commission Monday signed by Eric Dzakpasu said it worked closely with representatives of the various political parties on the acceptable logo before printing them on the Notice of Polls and ballot sheets.
“For the Parliamentary Notice of Polls and Ballot Sheets, the New Patriotic Party specifically indicated their satisfaction with the logo as processed for printing,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako has refused to accept the parliamentary ballot printed by the EC citing the absence of the party’s abbreviation.
RE: CLARIFICATION: POLITICAL PARTY LOGO ON BALLOT SHEETS.
However, minutes after the issuance of the Electoral Commission’s statement, the NPP Election Directorate issued a rejoinder.
NPP’s Director of Elections, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah spoke in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s ‘kokrokoo’ to clarify the issue on Tuesday morning.
Read below the rejoinder:
We refer to the statement issued by the Electoral Commission on the evening of Monday, 14th of November 2016 in an apparent response to concerns expressed by some members of the NPP over the omission of the party’s initials beneath it’s symbol on the Parliamentary ballot sheets and wish to point out the obvious distortions and untruths therein.
1. The Electoral Commission printed Parliamentary Notices of Polls with different inscriptions in the blue portion of the NPP logo/symbol.
2. Whilst for instance the Notice of Poll in the Asante Akyem North Constituency had in the blue portion of the NPP symbol “MOTTO: DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM”, another one for Kwadaso had ” NPP: DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM”. But both had NPP written beneath the symbol and all of these are public and copies can be verified.
3. The NPP supervisors quickly drew the Commission’s attention at the printing houses to correct this anomaly. In doing this correction, the NPP initials beneath the symbol was also removed.
4. We again noticed that and quickly asked for it to be reinstated, only to be informed by the Commission’s supervisors that it was too late for the initials to be included.
5. The Commission further took the position that it had not errerd in removing the “NPP” initials placed beneath the symbol since the NPP official logo/symbol had no such initials included in it.
6. It however made a surprise turn around in bringing the NPP initial back on the Presidential Notice of Poll and ballot sheets.
7. At no point did NPP supervisors at the printing houses express satisfaction/approval over the removal of Party initials from the Parliamentary Notice of Poll and ballot sheets as is being suggested by the Electoral Commission.
We urge party members/supporters and voters in general to remain calm and focused on the Great Elephant symbol. 3y3 Osono.
Election Directorate, NPP.
-Peacefmonline