The Electoral Commission (EC) has overturned its previous directive that prohibited political party agents from observing the vote transfer process. The initial decision, communicated to district officers on Sunday, June 2, aimed to prevent violent clashes that had occurred at some transfer centres.
However, the directive faced strong opposition from various political parties and civil society organizations, who argued that it undermined the democratic process and could potentially lead to irregularities in the transfer of votes.
John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), took to Facebook to express his concerns, suggesting that the EC’s decision indicated attempts to collaborate with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to manipulate the upcoming December 7 general elections.
In response to the widespread criticism, the EC held a press conference on Tuesday, June 4, to announce the reversal of the ban. Samuel Tettey, the Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations at the Electoral Commission, stated that the decision to overturn the ban was reached after thorough discussions.
The reversal of the directive aims to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the vote transfer process, allowing political party agents to observe and monitor the proceedings at the transfer centres.
