Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Director of Elections and IT for the NDC, is alarmed at some critical concerns regarding the upcoming 2024 polls in an open letter to Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).
The letter, posted on Dr Boamah’s Facebook page on March 1, 2024, highlights significant delays in the EC’s preparations and the absence of a calendar of activities for political parties and stakeholders.
Dr Boamah, emphasized the imperative need for the Jean Mensah-led EC to address some key issues promptly, including discrepancies in the Voters’ Register, details about the Limited Voters Registration Exercise, and the condition of the EC’s Data Center and Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits.
The ex-Minister for Communications, also raised concerns about potential breakdowns of devices, urging the EC to clarify its plans regarding additional BVR Kits and BVDs.
Furthermore, Dr Boamah, questions whether the EC intends to introduce new laws or reforms for election 2024 and how the Commission plans to comply with the ECOWAS Protocol on Good Governance and Democracy.
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The medical officer, also provided a friendly advisory note to Mrs Mensah, suggesting that the Ghanacard, should not be the sole identifier for voter registration due to its limited availability.
In closing, Dr Boamah, asks if the EC plans to create additional polling stations for Election 2024 and urges clarity on the commitment to the people of Santrokofi, Akpalu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) voting as a Constituency on December 7, 2024.
The urgency of the situation is underscored, emphasizing the need for the EC to promptly release the calendar of activities to guide the December 7, 2024, elections.
Below is what Dr Omane Boamah posted on Facebook
March 01, 2024
Dear Mrs Jean Mensah,
*The Electoral Commission has More Work To Do!*
Happy New Month (March 2024)!
And special greetings from the NDC Elections and IT Directorate.
In this open letter, I deploy definite statements and questions to draw the attention of Ghanaians, the Electoral Commission itself, the Inter- Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) and all stakeholders including development partners to the immutable truth that, the EC is behind schedule regarding preparations towards elections 2024.
I wish to remind the Electoral Commission that the calendar of activities to guide the December 07 presidential and parliamentary elections this year is still not available to political parties and major stakeholders.
Quite disappointing!
Why has the EC not published the calendar of activities (timetable) to guide our programs?
Note that there are many issues to be addressed ahead of the December 07 elections, such as:
• Addressing major discrepancies in the Voters’ Register.
• When the Commission intends to conduct the Limited Voters Registration Exercise to register new voters.
• The projected (nationally & regionally) registrable voter population for the 2024 Limited Registration Exercise.
• How the Limited Voters Registration Exercise will be conducted – Is it going to be electoral area-based or district office-based as it happened in 2023? (District office-based registration should not be repeated as it leads to voter suppression).
• What is the state of the EC’s Data Center and Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits and Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs)? Are we going to experience the avoidable and frequent breakdown of the devices as occurred during the 2023 Limited registration exercise?
• Does the EC intend to procure additional BVR Kits and BVDs?
• Does the Commission intend to introduce new laws (Constitutional Instruments) or administrative and other operational reforms for Election 2024?
• If yes, what are those laws and reforms?
• How does the Electoral Commission intend to comply with the ECOWAS Protocol on Good Governance and Democracy, that directs Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of ECOWAS Member States not to introduce major laws or reforms six (6) months prior to General Elections… Today is March, 2024, with eight (8) clear months to December 2024.
Madam Jean Mensah, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, in this friendly conversation in the interest of Ghana’s democracy, I further wish to advise the Electoral Commission assessment follows:
• The Commission must not make the Ghanacard the sole identifier for voter registration in 2024 because well over 60% of registrants used the Guarantor System to register just a year ago in 2023. This shows Ghanacard and passports are still not available to many a Ghanaian.
Finally, let me ask:
• Will the Commission create additional polling stations for Election 2024?
• If yes, how many polling stations does the Commission intend to create and what is the operational and demographic basis for creating those additional polling stations?
Furthermore, is the Commission genuinely committed to the people of Santrokofi, Akpalu, Likpe and Lolobi (SALL) voting on December 07, 2024 as a Constituency? This can not be compromised!
Time is limited…
Therefore, the Electoral Commission must immediately sit up and release the calendar of activities (Timetable) to guide the December 07, 2024 elections.
Thank you.
Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah
Director of Elections and IT, NDC & Medical Doctor and Health Policy Planning and Financing Analyst.
