EC’s vote transfer directive unlawful – Omane Boamah

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to exclude political party agents from the ongoing vote transfer exercise, labelling it as unlawful.

Earlier, the NDC had instructed its agents to defy and disregard the EC’s directive, which was issued in response to violent clashes at some of the transfer centres.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the NDC’s Director of Elections and IT, criticised the EC’s unilateral decision, arguing it should have been made in consultation with political parties.

“There is an IPAC meeting today this morning and what was the brain wave that made the EC issue that statement without coming back to IPAC for us to discuss that we need to modify it and we either agree or disagree or have a middle ground and modify but you take a unilateral decision to go ahead and announce that political parties cannot have agents to monitor the transfer of vote? They should quote the law that supports that.”

He also called on relevant authorities to enforce security measures ahead of other electoral processes to prevent violence, such as the Kasoa incident that left four injured over the weekend.

“The year 2020 presidential election, eight people were killed. One was killed, but nothing happened. Two were killed, but nothing happened. Three killed, but nothing happened, Four killed, nothing happened, Five killed, nothing happened, Six killed, nothing happened, seven killed, nothing happened. Eight killed. We are here in 2024 and these avoidable occurrences are still being recorded. We must do better and we can do better.”