The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reacted to the press briefing of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) on concerns about illegal transfers found in the Provisional Voter Register for the 2024 general elections.

The Director of Elections and IT of the NDC, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, who appeared not satisfied by the EC’s response to the issues of illegal voter transfers found in the register, said his party’s only interest is to ensure that the pending general election is free, fair, and transparent.

He indicated that the EC’s statement at the presser was an admission that there were illegal voter transfers in the register.

He went ahead to pose 20 questions to the commission, including the extent of the illegal voter transfer.

The NDC elections director, who posed these questions in a post he shared on X on September 9, 2024, also asked the EC to tell Ghanaians about the extent of the vulnerabilities in the country’s election system.

View his post and the questions below:

OPEN LETTER TO ALL GHANAIAN VOTERS

Dear Ghanaian Voter,

TEN (10) CRITICAL QUESTIONS FLOWING FROM YESTERDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF GHANA

To ensure the credibility and integrity of the imminent 2024 General Elections in Ghana, ten (10) critical questions with some sub-questions need to be addressed in light of the recent proven allegations (by the NDC) and admissions by the Electoral Commission (EC) regarding the voter register.

Keep in mind that the Electoral Commission already has thirty-five (35) outstanding questions relating to the stolen/missing BVR and BVD equipment.

We in the NDC do not seek vindication for raising these concerns over and over again. We just want credible, free, fair, and transparent elections.

The new and additional questions are:

1. 
The Extent of Manipulation

a. How widespread, in percentage (%) terms, is the issue of illegal voter transfers?

b. If the Pusiga EC Office could transfer voters from Tamale South Constituency without proper authorization, what is the scale of similar incidents across the country?

c. How many voters might have been affected, and how can this be accurately quantified ahead of the elections, which are only 95 days away?

2. 
System Vulnerabilities

a. What specific vulnerabilities in the Electoral Commission’s systems allowed for these unauthorized criminal and crooked transfers?

b. Are there specific protocols or security measures that were bypassed or ignored?

c. Instead of the piecemeal approach, how does the EC plan to comprehensively address these weaknesses to prevent future manipulations?

3. 
Forensic Audit

a. Given the EC’s admission of mistakes and errors, which justifies the NDC’s call for a forensic audit of the voter register to ensure transparency and credibility of the Voters Register, will an independent forensic audit and its unbiased findings not guarantee the credibility of the register and enhance trust and confidence?

b. Will the EC agree to an independent forensic audit of the voter register?

Because we do not at this stage trust that this Electoral Commission has enough self-purifying mechanisms to address the concerns about the register's integrity.

4. 
Accuracy of the Voter Register

a. How does the EC intend to convincingly ensure that the current voter register is accurate and free from any unauthorized or illegal voter transfers?

b. What multi-layered measures are being put in place to rectify the mistakes in the transfer voter list?

5. 
Timeliness in the Release of the Provisional Voters Register

a. Why was there a massive delay in providing the Provisional Voters Register to the NDC?

b. Was the delay intended to paralyse the NDC from scrutinising the register?

c. How will the EC ensure that all identified irregularities are corrected in time for the elections?

6. 
Public Confidence

How does the EC plan to restore public confidence in the voter register?

7. 
Transparency in the Outcomes of the 2024 Voter Registration Process

a. What steps will the EC take to ensure transparency in the outcomes of the recent voter registration and transfer processes before the General elections?

b. Re-exhibition of the register to verify the accuracy and integrity of the voter register before the General election?

8. 
Impact of the Mistakes on the Elections

a. What is the potential impact of the admitted mistakes and errors by the Electoral Commission on the fairness of the upcoming elections?

b. How will the EC ensure that the mistakes do not disenfranchise voters on December 7?

9. 
Historical Comparisons

It’s regrettable that the EC would generalise its mistakes by referencing errors made as far back as 1992 when IT was a toddler!

When will this Commission learn that such comparisons are only necessary if they serve as valuable lessons from previous errors to prevent similar or, in this case, more grievous mistakes?

10. 
Timeline for Corrections

What is the timeline for addressing these criminal mistakes, and will there be sufficient time to ensure that the voter register is accurate and reliable before the 2024 General Elections?

Fellow Ghanaian Voter,

These harmless questions are essential for safeguarding the credibility of Ghana’s electoral process and ensuring that the upcoming elections reflect the true will of the people.

Addressing them thoroughly and transparently will be crucial for maintaining public trust in the democratic process.

Vote John Dramani Mahama!

Thank you.

Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah

Director of Elections & IT, NDC

#EAGLEEYES
#OrganiseDontAgonise

BAI/OGB

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