Josiah
The Electoral Commission (EC) has reversed its earlier decision to eliminate the use of indelible ink in the upcoming 2024 general elections, following strong criticisms from various stakeholders, including the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dr. Eric Asare Bossman, the Deputy EC Chairman in charge of Corporate Services, acknowledged the concerns expressed by the public, parliamentarians, political parties, and members of civil society. In an interview with Joy FM, he stated, “After considering the discussions, we have taken into account the concerns of the general public, parliamentarians, the NPP and the NDC, and civil society members, so we have concluded that if the use of the ink instills more trust in the process, why not?”. He added, “Last year we noted that we thought when you look at the procedures in our elections, the idea of using indelible ink is like you are using two layers for verification.”
Bossman further explained, “The Commission said if Mr. Evans Mensah is coming to vote, then Mr. Evans Mensah will be verified electronically for us to know that indeed Mr. Mensah has been verified. So when you want to go ahead to use the indelible ink, then clearly you don’t have confidence in your biometric register. As a result of that, we suggested that it would be better if we do away with the ink.”
Source: Omanghana.com
