Recounting of votes at collation centre unlawful – NDC

The National Democratic Congress has expressed dismay over what it describes as “unwarranted recounting of votes” at some collation centres across the nation.

The Party said such acts did not only contravene the laws that governed the electoral process but also caused “undue delay in collating the results.”

Speaking at a fourth update by the Party on the December polls, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC, said laws governing the polls only allowed recounting to be done at polling stations.

He said the law only permitted recounting at a collation centre if a dissatisfied agent(s) had filed complaint sheet challenging the results of the ballots cast.

The General Secretary said it was, therefore, surprising that many collation centres continued to allow recount even though no such formal complaint had been filed by party agents at polling station levels.

"In fact, the process of recounting cannot be initiated at the collation centre at all, the law is very very clear. If at the polling station you disagree with any result you will call for a recount at the polling station. And the Presiding Officer must comply for the first time,” he said.

“If you are not satisfied, you can call for a second recount, if the presiding officer disagrees with you, then you indicate that you want the content of a particular ballot box to be recounted at the collation centre. It is only there and then that a box can be reopened at a collation centre for a recount."

"We wish to report that out of the 275 constituencies, the NDC has won 141. That put us in a clear majority and will be giving John Mahama the needed majority in Parliament to be able to conduct his business as President.”

"What the clear majority means in a Parliamentary term is that the NDC will be selecting the next Speaker of Parliament, the First Deputy Speaker will be selecting all Chairmen of parliamentary select and standing committees. That gives us absolute control of the house," he added.