How to resolve AdBlock issue? NDC Accuses Ashanti Regional EC Director of Undermining Electoral Procedures
Wednesday, 04 December 2024 | Ghana
The Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer, has accused the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) of undermining electoral procedures during the special voting exercise on Monday. Dr. Tanko-Computer described the incident as a severe violation of electoral laws that threatens the integrity of Ghana’s democracy.
In an interview on Joy News’ PM Express, Dr. Tanko-Computer shared details of the events leading up to the special voting. He revealed that, traditionally, political parties are allowed to place their seals on ballot boxes, alongside those of the EC, to safeguard the integrity of the election process. This procedure ensures transparency and accountability, giving political parties a measure of assurance that the ballot boxes have not been tampered with prior to voting.
However, Dr. Tanko-Computer alleged that the Ashanti Regional EC Director had instructed district officers to prevent the NDC from sealing the ballot boxes. “I am saying he gave instructions. He told them that the NDC should not put a seal,” Dr. Tanko-Computer stated. When he confronted the EC Director, he claims that the official responded dismissively, questioning whether the NDC planned to seal all 400 ballot boxes. Dr. Tanko-Computer countered, saying that if 1 million boxes were brought, the NDC would seal each one, as required by the law.
Despite his efforts to address the issue by escalating the matter to senior EC officials, including Mr. Tettey and Dr. Bossman Asare, Dr. Tanko-Computer claimed that the Ashanti Regional Director persisted in his instructions until pressure from higher authorities led to a reversal of his decision. Unfortunately, by this time, some districts had already been operating under the initial orders, which Dr. Tanko-Computer believes compromised the election’s integrity.
The NDC official also accused the Ashanti Regional EC Director of instructing EC officials not to share the validation stamp number with party agents, another allegation of violating the country’s electoral regulations. According to Dr. Tanko-Computer, CI 127, the regulation guiding elections in Ghana, mandates that both parts A and B of the pink sheet must be completed before voting begins. Part B includes the validation stamp number, which serves as a crucial identification tool to ensure that any foreign stamp on the ballots can be identified during sorting.
“The CI is very clear,” Dr. Tanko-Computer emphasized, explaining that withholding this information from party agents was a deliberate violation of the law. He also warned that actions like these undermine the peace and stability of the country, with the potential to jeopardize the peace accord signed by various political parties. “This Regional Director is the one who will jeopardize the peace accord we signed. Who is giving him powers he doesn’t have?” he questioned.
Responding to the allegations, Evans Nimako, the Director of Research and Elections for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), dismissed Dr. Tanko-Computer’s concerns, labeling them as exaggerated. Nimako defended the EC’s handling of the situation, citing CI 127 as the guiding rule for the process. He explained that ballot box sealing occurs at multiple levels, from the printing houses in Accra to the regional and district levels. According to Nimako, if the NDC’s agents missed sealing at one point, they should simply rectify the issue at another level.
Nimako further accused the NDC of unnecessarily escalating tensions over what he described as a small issue. “I’ve heard Dr. Tanko running around too many times on this small issue. The NDC’s problem is Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer and Dr. Omane Boama. Simple issues that are resolved at the IPAC level, they present them as if heavens must break loose,” Nimako added.
In an interview on Joy News’ PM Express, Dr. Tanko-Computer shared details of the events leading up to the special voting. He revealed that, traditionally, political parties are allowed to place their seals on ballot boxes, alongside those of the EC, to safeguard the integrity of the election process. This procedure ensures transparency and accountability, giving political parties a measure of assurance that the ballot boxes have not been tampered with prior to voting.
However, Dr. Tanko-Computer alleged that the Ashanti Regional EC Director had instructed district officers to prevent the NDC from sealing the ballot boxes. “I am saying he gave instructions. He told them that the NDC should not put a seal,” Dr. Tanko-Computer stated. When he confronted the EC Director, he claims that the official responded dismissively, questioning whether the NDC planned to seal all 400 ballot boxes. Dr. Tanko-Computer countered, saying that if 1 million boxes were brought, the NDC would seal each one, as required by the law.
Despite his efforts to address the issue by escalating the matter to senior EC officials, including Mr. Tettey and Dr. Bossman Asare, Dr. Tanko-Computer claimed that the Ashanti Regional Director persisted in his instructions until pressure from higher authorities led to a reversal of his decision. Unfortunately, by this time, some districts had already been operating under the initial orders, which Dr. Tanko-Computer believes compromised the election’s integrity.
The NDC official also accused the Ashanti Regional EC Director of instructing EC officials not to share the validation stamp number with party agents, another allegation of violating the country’s electoral regulations. According to Dr. Tanko-Computer, CI 127, the regulation guiding elections in Ghana, mandates that both parts A and B of the pink sheet must be completed before voting begins. Part B includes the validation stamp number, which serves as a crucial identification tool to ensure that any foreign stamp on the ballots can be identified during sorting.
“The CI is very clear,” Dr. Tanko-Computer emphasized, explaining that withholding this information from party agents was a deliberate violation of the law. He also warned that actions like these undermine the peace and stability of the country, with the potential to jeopardize the peace accord signed by various political parties. “This Regional Director is the one who will jeopardize the peace accord we signed. Who is giving him powers he doesn’t have?” he questioned.
Responding to the allegations, Evans Nimako, the Director of Research and Elections for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), dismissed Dr. Tanko-Computer’s concerns, labeling them as exaggerated. Nimako defended the EC’s handling of the situation, citing CI 127 as the guiding rule for the process. He explained that ballot box sealing occurs at multiple levels, from the printing houses in Accra to the regional and district levels. According to Nimako, if the NDC’s agents missed sealing at one point, they should simply rectify the issue at another level.
Nimako further accused the NDC of unnecessarily escalating tensions over what he described as a small issue. “I’ve heard Dr. Tanko running around too many times on this small issue. The NDC’s problem is Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer and Dr. Omane Boama. Simple issues that are resolved at the IPAC level, they present them as if heavens must break loose,” Nimako added.