Parliamentary Service debunks reports of ballot box stuffing by parliamentary staff

The Parliamentary Service of Ghana says none of the parliamentary staff attempted to stuff a ballot box with papers during the election of the Speaker of the 8th Parliament on January 7.

According to them, the nature of voting in Parliament would not have allowed any of the parliamentary staff to perpetuate any such act and considering the already volatile atmosphere on the floor of Parliament, it would have been easily detected.

Kate Addo, the Director of Public Affairs of the Parliament Service of Ghana, in a statement explained that the deputy Marshall who is also a staff member was only protecting the ballot box used for the voting process and not trying to rig the election.

The deputy Marshall’s stiff response to the scuffle in the chamber was to reach for his taser which was positioned behind his belt to use in the protection of the ballot box.

“The deputy Marshall then looked at the taser to turn it on and actually went on to use the taser to prevent one Member from forcefully taking the ballot box, which at the time had two votes cast in it,” Kate Addo wrote.

“The box in question was taken away, and examined in the presence of some Leadership Members of the House. The Leader in question later came to the Chamber to assure his side of the House that nothing untoward had happened.”

Kate Addo stressed: “It must be pointed out that the Staff at all times during the night remained calm, saw to a peaceful resolution of all the issues, which culminated in the successful election of the Speaker of Parliament.”

Read below the full statement: