By Benjamin A. Commey
Accra, Nov 01, GNA – The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced that it will review its decision to suspend the printing of ballot papers for the 2024 presidential election next week.
The suspension followed the death of Madam Akua Donkor, the Flagbearer of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), on October 28, 2024.
The Commission granted the GFP ten days to replace its flagbearer, in accordance with Article 50 (4) of the 1992 Constitution.
During a media briefing after touring three ballot printing facilities in Accra, Dr Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairman in charge of Corporate Services at the EC, confirmed that the Commission would revisit the matter next week.
“As you are aware, the printing of parliamentary ballots is ongoing. We have put the presidential ballot papers on hold. It is likely that by next week, the Commission will revisit that particular issue,” he said.
The three printing houses visited were Buck Press in Ofankor, where ballot papers for the Ashanti, Savannah, Oti, and Central regions are being printed; Innolink in the North Industrial Area, responsible for ballots for the Greater Accra and North East regions; and Acts Commercials Limited in Darkuman, where ballots for Upper East, Upper West, and Western North are being produced.
The tour’s purpose was to give journalists firsthand insight into the printing process, aimed at enhancing transparency and building public trust in the electoral process.
The tour was led by Mr. Benjamin Bano-Bioh, Director of Electoral Services at the EC, along with Dr. Asare.
Dr. Asare emphasized that the ballot printing process has been “transparent.”
He dismissed claims that the Commission had printed more ballots than needed for the 2024 election, calling such reports a “complete lie.”
“What the EC wants you to know is that nothing is done without the knowledge, even the inputs of political parties, and you can see clearly here that not only the main political parties are represented here.
“We even have Madam Akua Donkor who is no longer going to be a candidate, the agent is here, the independent candidates also have their agents here as well as the other minor political parties.
“So, if you hear anyone saying that the Electoral Commission has printed more than necessary ballots, that’s a complete lie, because the parties are aware, they know the ballot statistics for each region, for each constituency,” he said.
Mr Bano-Bioh said the Commission was one of the few election management institutions in the sub-region that printed its ballot papers locally, indicating the strength of its operations.
He said the Commission had nothing to hide, adding that it (EC) was committed to a free, fair, and transparent electoral process.
“We are here to let you know that printing ballots is not done in secrecy. We open up to the public for you to know that we are doing it together with the political party agents.
“At every level, their agents are, and they observe to ensure that the right thing is done. They take copies of the serial range of numbers; they take copies of quantities being printed for each constituency and we give them all these details at the end.
“So, printing ballots, they are with us, and they make sure that whatever we have packaged and is ready to be sent to our regions and our constituencies, apart from the Electoral Commission’s seals, they also add their seals and take records of that,” he stated.
Dr Francis Nyanin, Executive Director of Buck Press, said the company was working around the clock to ensure that it met the deadline.
GNA