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Politics of Thursday, November 5, 2020
Source: Peace FM
2020-11-05
Kweku Baako Jnr, Editor-in-Chief, New Cross Guide
Experienced journalist Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has challenged the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to respond to the Electoral Commission (EC) statement on the party’s allegations.
The NDC, over the weekend, accused the electoral body of colluding with one of the seven printing houses that print the ballot papers, the Assembly Press, which, according to the party, belongs to a person appointed by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
NDC claims
The party alleged, in a press conference on Sunday, November 1, 2020, that the EC is printing around 150,000 surplus ballots, in addition to the required 5 percent of excess ballots per voting center.
“By convention and practice, the EC prints an additional 5 percent of the total registered voters at each polling station to attend to the damaged ballots, but what is surprising this time is that the EC is rather printing an additional 5 percent of the Total registered voters by constituency in the total number of ballots to be printed. What this translates into is more ballots being printed that exceed the 5 percent of additional ballots required for the voting station. From the statistics of the ballots of the printers coming from the EC, we (NDC) have analyzed the figure of 13 regions and we have observed that there is an excess of more than 150,000 printed ballots beyond the required additional 5%.
“This happened at the Assembly Press, which is one of the contractors that prints the ballot papers, and we (NDC) also found out that the Assembly Press is printing additional ballots at a different location on the blind side. of the political party agents. The NDC is completely disgusted with the irregularities, as the assembly’s press director general, appointed by the president, was a candidate who contested the 2020 PNP parliamentary primaries in the Nkawkaw constituency and the coordinator of Let My Vote Count Alliance, a nuclear power plant lobbyist. “
EC press release
In response to the NDC’s allegations, the EC issued a press release to clarify the matter.
” The Election Commission finds it difficult to understand why the NDC would seek to cause fear and apprehension around a transparent and open process such as ballot printing. This is unacceptable.”
The Commission resolved the facts by saying that “it has been a standard practice for the Commission to print voting ballots in excess of five percent (5%) to attend cases such as null votes.” This has been the practice since 1992 and the current Commission has not changed this policy. In accordance with this policy, all Printers have been ordered to print the 2020 ballot papers in excess of 5% for the thirty-eight thousand six hundred thirty (38,630) polling stations throughout the country. It is important to note that since 1992, the ballot papers for the presidential and parliamentary elections are printed in booklets of 10, 25, 50 and 100 for all voting tables. ”
“This has always been the practice and the NDC is well aware of it. For the information of the General Public, all Political Parties have accredited Agents in all Printers who monitor and supervise the printing process 24 hours a day. The transparency and openness of the process make it impossible for any printing company to manipulate and compromise the process, since all printing is done with the fixed gaze of the agents of the political parties, ” added the EC and assured the Ghanaians that “ each paper ballot will be counted. A ballot will not be included in a package that has not been counted. This will not happen. Our processes are open, transparent and robust and will continue to be. ”
Kweku Baako dares to NDC
Speaking about Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”, Kweku Baako Jnr examined the EC press release and, reading parts of it, asked the NDC to respond to relevant questions raised by the electoral management body.
” The Commission has never provided the political parties with the serial numbers of the ballots. The Commission cannot generate the serial numbers of the seventeen million (17 million) plus the ballot papers. True or false? The NDC, what is your position on this?
” As has been the practice, serial numbers are generated by the Printers and provided to both the Commission and Political Parties after each batch of printing is completed. True or false? What has been the precedent since we began our electoral history? Let them come out and tell us, ” he said.
On allegations that the EC has not provided the serial numbers of the ballots to political parties, the experienced journalist asked the NDC to provide Ghanaians with responses to the Commission’s clarifications that say “the packed ballots / In bags are Commission and Political Parties. In fact, each Political Party fixes its party stamps on the packed ballots. Political parties keep a record of all stamp numbers on each packed ballot. Ballot packaging is carried out in the presence of all the Agents of the Political Parties. ”
“True or false?” He questioned.
Mr. Baako also requested the NDC’s response to the Commission’s response to his allegations that he has colluded with the Assembly Press.
He asked the NDC to tell Ghanaians how false is the EC’s response that “the Assembly Press is a state institution that at any time is headed by persons appointed by a sitting government.” It is also a known fact that the Assembly Press headed by the NDC Designates printed the ballots for 1992, 1996, 2000, 2012 and 2016 ”
”True or false? They knew.Can you challenge these details …? ” He further asked.
” Be brave and publish it. In reaction to this November 3 press release from the EC, the response should not be silence. Silence will not be golden in this context … They should respond to the EC press release of November 3, 2020, ” he concluded.
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