All is set for tomorrow’s planned protest against the Electoral Commission (EC) by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to press home their demand for a free, fair and credible elections, which should start with a forensic audit of the electoral register.
But ahead of the Tuesday, September 17, 2024, nationwide protests, the leader of the NDC and its 2024 presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, has disclosed having met the US ambassador to Ghana, Virginia E. Palmer last week, over the party’s concerns with the EC’s register.
Mr Mahama, made the revelation about the NDC protest christened, “Enough Is Enough” while speaking to energy sector stakeholders in Accra, last Friday.
He disclosed that, the meeting discussed others matters, including a plea for the US envoy to intercede on behalf of Ghana to get it rescind its decision to cancelled the US$190 million in grants to Ghana under the “Power Africa” initiative in response to the Ghanaian government’s termination, following fraud in the PSD deal.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government foreign assistance agency, agreed in 2014 to provide $498 million in funding to Ghana’s power sector to help stimulate further private investment.
According to the NDC, supporters of the party, must march onto all regional offices of the EC to submit a petition demanding a forensic audit of the register which it believes is fraught with anomalies created to favour the governing party.
In Accra, the Regional Police Command has reached an agreement with the opposition party on how the demonstration should be held.
In a letter signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police and Deputy Regional Commander, Emmanuel Aryee Akonnor, addressed to the NDC, the police confirmed the demonstration would begin at 7:00 a.m.
The NDC’s National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, announced a nationwide demonstration on September 17, against the EC over its refusal to conduct a forensic audit of the voter register ahead of the December elections.
He cited suspicions due to a lack of transparency from the EC as a key reason for the protest.
Additionally, the NDC Minority in Parliament, raised concerns that the voter register exhibition, had been tampered with, further fueling the party’s grievances.
A meeting between the NDC and the police, resulted in an agreement on the demonstration’s routes.
“The route for the demonstration shall be from Kwame Nkrumah Circle – Farisco Traffic Light – TUC – National Theatre – Stadium – Parliament, where a petition will be presented to the speaker.”
It added that, the “protest will end at the EC’s office, where another petition will be delivered.”
The police also reassured the public of their commitment to providing security for the event within its mandate.
On the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, September 14, the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, said the party insists that the voter register for the 2024 elections must be audited.
He said the electoral commission and the political parties, must sit together and do the auditing.
“We insist that the voters’ register must undergo a forensic audit. Party reps and EC must sit together and audit the register,” Sammy Gyamfi said.
The EC had turned down a request from the NDC for an independent forensic audit of the provisional voters’ register.
This rejection came after a closed-door meeting between the EC and the opposition party, following concerns raised by the NDC regarding alleged discrepancies in the voter roll.
Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Director of Elections for the NDC, expressed disappointment, emphasizing that a forensic audit would be essential in restoring confidence in the electoral process. “They have not accepted the independent forensic audit request,” Dr Boamah stated after the meeting.
The NDC, has been vocal about their concerns, particularly regarding what they describe as the extent of manipulation in the voter transfer system.
They argue that the provisional register, contains illegal transfers that could potentially undermine the fairness of the upcoming 2024 elections. The party has called for transparency, requesting the involvement of independent experts in auditing the voter list.
Dr Boamah, stressed the importance of an external body handling the audit, comparing it to a medical referral system.
“The very doctor who created the problem should not be the doctor that will resolve the problem,” he said.
He added that development partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), are willing to support the audit process, but it requires the EC’s consent.
“The UNDP is ready and willing to provide the support only if the Electoral Commission will write and request the support,” Dr Boamah noted.
Despite this, the EC remains firm in its decision not to proceed with the audit, a stance that has raised concerns about transparency in the electoral process as the 2024 elections approach.
