Decision to stop using indelible ink a call for all-out war – Dr Bonaa warns EC

Security and safety analyst, Dr Adam Bonaa has described the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to abandon the use of indelible ink in the 2024 general election; as one that has not been properly thought through.

Speaking to GhanaWeb in an interview, Dr Bonaa stated that the use of indelible ink to distinguish between voters who have exercised their franchise goes to the heart of election security and will thus form the basis for mayhem if the decision is implemented.

“It looks like the policy is not a well thought through policy. If you look at the issues we have when it comes to public elections in this country, they are issues to do with mistrust, distrust and suspicion.

"You don’t want a situation where you are going to have an all-out confrontation amongst the citizenry vis-a-vis the EC officials and the security officers who are supposed to be manning the polling centres.

“So to say that the indelible ink is not going to be used again is almost saying you are calling for an all-out war on election day because looking at the issues going into election 2024, there is suspicion everywhere.

"NPP is telling us it wants to break the 8, NDC says it is staging a comeback and you already have some former officers or members of the NPP going independent and also threatening to win the elections. So if anybody tells you that 2024 elections is going to be quiet, that person probably does not understand what they are saying,” he stated.

The Electoral Commission (EC) at a recent press conference served notice that the indelible ink will no longer be required during elections.

The Commission assures that a biometric authentication system has been adopted to replace the indelible ink which is a semi-permanent dye applied to a voter's finger to prevent double voting and this move is being piloted at the ongoing district elections.



"Once you have been verified, it goes into the system, and you cannot come back a second time. You can try it if you wish at this election. Of course, it will be deemed as an electoral offence," the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa expressed confidence in the new system.

But according to Dr Bonaa, the decision will make the work of security agencies difficult on election day and may serve as a catalyst for mayhem.

While recognising the independence of the Electoral Commission, Dr Bonaa urged the election management body to stand down on its decision and conduct extensive stakeholder engagement before making any such vital decisions with security implications.

GA/SARA

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