NDC discredits Bossman Asare’s claims on new voting date …NPP plays Ostrich

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has refuted claims by Dr Bossman Asare, the Deputy Chairman of Corporate Services of the Electoral Commission (EC) that there was an overwhelming acceptance for the upcoming polls to be in November 2024, instead of the December 7, as is usually the case.

The party in a statement released yesterday was emphatic that “the National Democratic Congress states without equivocation that the Electoral Commission’s quest to hold the general elections in November 2024, will not be supported by the NDC”.

At an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on Monday, January 29, the NDC and some other political parties, rejected the proposal from the election management body for polls to open in November, instead of the conventional December timeline.

While, the NDC opposed the change, citing concerns about organising a smooth election within the proposed time frame, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is yet to decide on the matter, but the EC has claimed that over 50 per cent of political parties that attended Monday’s meeting approved their proposal to hold this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections in November.

However, the NDC statement fired back, saying “The announcement by Dr Bossman Asare, the Deputy Chairman of Corporate Services of the EC does not reflect the irrefutable arguments that led to the concensus that any major electoral reforms should become effective from November 2028.

The statement signed by the NDC’s General Secretary, said “Whereas there was a clear consensus on 2028 as the year of effectiveness, it is untrue that the majority of political parties at IPAC agreed to the November 2024 date.

“It is therefore strange but not unexpected that Dr. Bossman will mislead the general public that, “almost about 60%” of political parties supported the proposal for elections to be held in November 2024 at the IPAC meeting held on Monday, January 29, 2024”.

“IPAC needs to return to its time-honoured tradition of building consensus on crucial electoral reforms. Be that as it may, it is important to clarify that out of the ten political parties at the IPAC meeting, at least five (5) spoke eloquently against changing the date for elections to November 2024.

“We urge the Electoral Commission to concentrate on germane and urgent matters, including immediately releasing the calendar for the 2024 elections as we strive for transparent, free, and fair elections in December 2024.

The EC, had claimed that over 50 per cent of political parties have approved their proposal to hold this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections in November.

The Director of Elections and ICT for the NDC, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, stated that the EC must be cautious with their approach.

He explained that the overwhelming consensus was that considering all that the EC has to do between now and the next presidential and parliamentary elections, the EC would be taking on more than it can handle.

“As an institution, if it wanted to add the needed parliamentary processes to change the date for the elections, it’s something that we all discussed, and we are all men and women of faith. So we take issues of religion seriously, and we felt that it’s something that should be subjected to a broader national discussion so that all shades of opinion can be factored into it for the appropriate decision to be taken.

“And with all that said, for the election day being a holiday, we felt it is not really necessary but if others think it must be done, even though we have too many holidays in the year, if others feel it must be done, it can be considered,” he said.

Mr Boamah, urged the EC to stick to the current date for the general elections, emphasising that the EC could have pushed these reforms in the previous years and not in an election year.

Speaking to JoyNews, the Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Asare, stated that this new timeline will allow the election management body to easily mobilise for a runoff in case the polls end this year with no clear winner in the first round of elections.

According to him, based on what transpired at the IPAC meeting on Monday, the majority of the political parties were supportive of the change of the dates from December to November and expressed their view that if it would be possible for the EC to be able to implement it this year, that will be good.

Dr Asare, however, stated that most of the parties suggested that if the EC is unable to implement the process this year, then it should begin in 2028.

“So in principle, all the parties that attended IPAC yesterday were for it for 2028. But for 2024, almost about 60% of the parties, more than half of the parties, said if it will be possible for the EC to go through the legal processes to have it implemented this year, let’s go ahead,” he said.

Reacting to whether the EC would be able to come through on all the legal requirements and changes to be able to hold the elections in November, the EC Deputy Chairman said “Yes, very much so. Looking at our calendar, we are pretty sure that we will be able to do everything, whatever it takes to ensure that we go through the legal process.”

He clarified that the EC is not the final determinant, but the implementation has to go through the Attorney General, to the parliamentary system before it will be approved.

“But as I said, as far as we are concerned, whatever we need to do, whatever is necessary, whatever is proper that must be done to ensure that we are able to consummate it and have the elections, we are well able to do that,” Dr Asare said.