Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has advised Ghana’s election management body to ensure transparency to all stakeholders in the lead up to the December 07 elections.
The lawyer who described the exercise as Ghana’s second independence underscored the importance of every single ballot, the reason concerns being raised by some political parties should not be overlooked by the EC.
His comments come on the back of allegations made by the opposition National Democratic Congress concerning some missing Biometric Verification Devices which the Commission has subsequently refuted.
Speaking on the KeyPoints on TV3 Saturday, March 23, 2024, the convenor of the Kumi Preko reloaded demonstration admonished the Commission to open its doors to all who wants clarification on anything as far as the December 07 polls is concerned.
“The 2024 election is like our second independence so anything that has the potential of demeaning it, we have to look at it. Even one single vote counts so when I saw it I was like they should interrogate it. The EC should open its doors, let the NDC see everything that the NDC thinks is wrong so that confidence in the EC will be restored,” he noted.
He further advised that the EC desists from any action that potentially undermines the will of the people.
“It’s all about confidence, we don’t want any war drums. Looking at the country you see that people’s mood have changed so let’s not do anything to derail or steal the sovereign reign of the people,” he added.
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The EC debunked claims by the Minority in Parliament that seven of its Biometric Verification Devices (BVD) are missing.
The Minority Caucus raised concerns about the stolen BVD machines Tuesday, March 19, 2024, with the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, calling on the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to promptly investigate the matter.
The opposition expressed the fear that the stolen biometric devices could have dire repercussions on the upcoming December 7, 2024, general elections.
“The Electoral Commission confirms that seven biometric devices are indeed missing. I urge the CID and the Ghana Police Service to immediately issue a statement giving us details of their investigations so far,” Dr. Ato Forson said.
However, the EC reacting to the matter in a press conference on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, said none of its biometric verification device had gone missing.
The Commissioner in charge of Operations of the Commission, Samuel Tettey, who addressed the press conference said, only five of the EC’s laptops are missing.
For all, all the biometric verification devices are well secured and protected.
He explained that the missing laptops do not have any sensitive information on them, stressing that the stolen laptops will not impact the integrity of the 2024 elections.
We have lost only 5 laptops, not BVDs – EC refutes Minority’s claim
