The Electoral Commission (EC), in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service and political party representatives, has destroyed approximately 3.6 million ballot papers intended for the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 31 out of 33 constituencies in the Eastern Region.
The Afram Plains North and South constituencies were exempted due to logistical challenges, as their directors were in Koforidua for an assignment when the notice for the exercise was issued.
The destruction, carried out on Tuesday morning, followed reports of security breaches concerning the ballot papers leading to the postponement of the Special voting exercise that was scheduled for December 5 instead of December 2.
Eastern Regional EC Director, John Appiah, who was at the landfill site where the ballot papers were burnt to ashes, described the exercise as successful and assured the public that new ballot papers are expected in time for the special voting on Thursday and the general election.
However, the NDC has expressed dissatisfaction with the EC’s handling of the process.
Eastern Regional Secretary, Jamal Konney, criticized the EC for attempting to destroy the ballot papers without notifying the NDC.
He said the NDC after gotten wind of a directive for the District Directors of EC to dumb the ballot papers at their offices, the NDC resisted and insisted all must be brought to Koforidua for burning.
“If you want to discard rejected ballot papers at least communicate to our national executives. They will also communicate to us but you can’t send a WhatsApp message to their[EC) platform directing them to empty the bags, leave the ballot papers at the various district offices. I think they are not actually helping the course of this election but as we have always been we are going to be vigilant” Jamal Konney lamented.
Alhaji Sidi Bello, the NDC’s Eastern Regional Director of Elections, also express his displeasure about the delayed replacement of the ballot papers, stressing the potential disruption this could cause to the electoral timeline.
“We don’t know exactly when the new ballot papers will come. Even the EC officials they don’t know and we are supposed to conduct the special voting on Thursday. Today is Tuesday we have only one day that is Wednesday to decide whether the special voting will really come on as scheduled. Now all our constitutency officers are going back we don’t know when they will call them back the stress is too much. The kind of stress the Electoral Commission is taking us through is unprecedented . So we urge them to be deligent in the work that they are doing” Alhaji Sidi Bello, stated.
Notably, the Eastern Regional Executives of the NPP were absent during the exercise, leaving their stance on the matter unclear.
The EC has however assured stakeholders of its commitment to delivering a transparent and credible election process despite the setback urging all voters in the region to be ready to exercise their franchise.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah
