December Polls: Forensic audit of register non-negotiable - NDC to EC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticized the Electoral Commission (EC) for what it calls a "humiliating display of incompetence" following the Commission's recent press conference.

Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the NDC's Director of Elections and IT, issued a statement dated September 2, 2024 condemning the EC's handling of the 2024 Provisional Voter Register (PVR) and its data management practices.

Dr. Boamah argued that the EC has acknowledged its poor data management and suggested that external assistance is urgently needed.

He further accused the Commission of not willingly providing the 2024 PVR, claiming that the opposition party had to “drag it out” of the EC.

The NDC official also questioned the credibility of the voter register, citing statements from the EC’s Deputy Chairman that suggested irregularities, including the unauthorized transfer of voters in the Pusiga district.

He challenged the EC's assertion that the register is "robust and credible," asking, "If the register is credible, why did the Deputy Chairman state that Pusiga was able to transfer people without recourse to the process?"

Dr. Boamah cast doubt on the integrity of the EC, quoting a line from Shakespeare's Macbeth: "There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face," to suggest the possibility of intentional wrongdoing by EC officials.

He accused the EC of hiding information, including 35 unanswered questions about allegedly missing biometric voter registration (BVR) and biometric verification devices (BVD) kits.

"Reasonable mistakes can be understood, but not terrible crooked and criminal mistakes!" he said, citing allegations that a district officer had transferred voters without their knowledge.

In response to these concerns, Dr. Boamah made several demands on behalf of the NDC:

The EC must provide a full explanation of the events at Pusiga that led to the interdiction of its district director. Corrections to the voter register must continue. A re-exhibition of the voter register is “non-negotiable.” A forensic audit of the register is also “non-negotiable,”he concluded