EC’s promise to declare results in 24 hours described as a fallacy

A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) communications team has asserted that it would be impossible for the Electoral Commission (EC) to declare the election results within 24 hours as promised.

According to Peter Bamfo, the claim by the EC is a falsehood being peddled by the EC because general elections in Ghana are usually an intense affair.

“This is a major election and the EC is going about talking plenty, insisting they will release the election results in 24 hours. The EC thinks Ghana is only Accra. In some constituencies, one can travel for more than 2 hours and in some areas, you need a canoe to pick ballots. In some areas even, you will need to cross the border to reach a constituency. These are realities on the ground and I am trying to believe the EC doesn’t know this.

“Apart from distance, roads are terrible in some areas, limiting access. In some areas, there is poor internet connectivity and the biggest problem is the counting of the ballot,” the Editor of the Patriot Newspaper said.

According to Peter, the EC is very much aware of these problems and has still promised to declare the results within 24 hours.

“If you come out loud like this and make the promise when we know the reality, then, it is sad,” he said.

The NDC communicator reiterated: “The EC’s statement of releasing the results in 24 hours is completely false. She is rushing and may end up plunging us into trouble.”

The Electoral Commission of Ghana has promised to officially declare the results of the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections within 24hours after voting.

“We have given the register to the political parties about two weeks ago and since you haven’t heard any complaints, it means everything has been addressed,” the director of electoral services of the commission, Dr Serebour Quaicoe told Accra-based radio station.

He added: “We are planning to declare results 24 hours after the election. That’s our plan.”