12 Days To Go: EC declares readiness for 2024 election

A Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Bossman Asare, has affirmed the Commission's preparedness for the 2024 election.

Speaking in interview with TV3 on Monday, November 25, 2024, he assured the public that all necessary measures have been put in place to ensure a smooth, fair, transparent and credible electoral process on December 7.

"We have what we call sensitive materials in our parlance, ballot boxes, our verification devices, all those ones almost 90 percent of them or even more have been dispatched to the regions and when we dispatch them, all these sensitive materials are kept in the regional police armory in Kumasi, Ho, in Techiman, in Goaso. But the non-sensitive ones are kept in our district offices like ballot boxes, indelible ink, the tissue papers, and the registers we are going to use.

"So, the Commission can confidently say we are very much ready for December 7, and we anticipate that there is not going to be shortage of materials. We are only urging our officers to ensure that all the polling stations will be able to start on time at exactly 7AM," he noted.

Dr. Asare also announced that 328 special voting centers have been designated for early voting, which is reserved for specific groups such as security personnel, election officials, and media personnel, as stipulated under C.I. 127.

He clarified, "Apart from those eligible for special voting, the rest of us will cast our votes on December 7. There will be no voting in our diplomatic missions this year."

Dr. Asare also emphasised the EC's commitment to neutrality and inclusivity.

"Our job is to create an enabling environment for all political parties. As far as the EC is concerned, we maintain a very good working relationship with all parties, including the main opposition," he said.

He added that the EC has been transparent in its engagements with political stakeholders, and all parties have been participating actively in meetings and discussions.

"We believe we have created a level playing field for all candidates, ensuring that the will of the people will be reflected in the 275 constituencies, as well as the single national constituency of Ghana," he stated.

JKB/AE

Watch the mixed reactions from drivers and hawkers using the Flower Pot Interchange below: