Dr. Omane Boamah, Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the voters’ register created by Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC). He has labeled the register as “incurably defective” and warned that it could jeopardize the credibility of the 2024 general elections.
In a Facebook post on August 28, 2024, Dr. Boamah argued that without a forensic audit or a parliamentary investigation, the voters’ register remains deeply flawed. He highlighted issues uncovered during the recent exhibition exercise, which he claims, if unresolved, could threaten the election’s outcome.
“Forget about adjudication! It’s obvious the register has deliberately been tampered with! They did not expect such thorough scrutiny that has unveiled the mountains of anomalies,” Dr. Boamah stated, alleging intentional manipulation of the voter register.
He also brought up the unresolved issue of missing Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) and the theft of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) laptops from the EC’s headquarters, even under CCTV surveillance. “The theft of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) laptops under CCTV surveillance at the headquarters of the EC remains unresolved. Similar to the missing/stolen Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs)…,” he remarked.
To address these concerns, Dr. Boamah announced plans for a series of public forums and demonstrations aimed at pressuring the Electoral Commission to be transparent and accountable. He also urged Ghanaians and the international community to demand a forensic audit of the EC’s system, including the voter register, if Parliament fails to act.
Dr. Boamah cited several specific issues uncovered during the constituency-level review of the register:
- Registered voters whose names are missing.
- Qualified voters placed on the Exception List or the Multiple List.
- Disqualified individuals due to multiple registrations or successful challenges who remain on the Main Provisional Voters Register (PVR).
- Voters transferred without their knowledge, including old transfers still appearing on the register.
- Voters moved from one polling station to another without their consent.
These allegations and the call for action underscore the NDC’s concerns about the upcoming elections’ fairness and transparency.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
