Get rid of regional collation centers - NDC to EC

The largest opposition party in the country, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has proposed to the Electoral Commission of Ghana to scrap all Regional Collation Centers which were introduced in the 2020 elections.

According to the party, the introduction of the Regional Collation centers has disabled party agents at the National Coalition Centers from performing their duties.

The National Democratic Congress has listed 34 recommendations to the Electoral Commission (EC).

The recommendations were put together by a team of experts led by former Chief of Staff, Nana Ato Dadzie, and former Local Government Minister in the Rawlings Regime, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi.

The NDC said the recommendations were informed by perceived flaws in the 2020 election, which triggered a presidential election petition after John Mahama rejected President Akufo-Addo’s election victory.

The party said it plans to meet with labor unions, religious leaders, the National Peace Council, the National House of Chiefs and the Diplomatic Community to engage further on the proposals.

Speaking in an interview on Atinka FM’s AM Drive with host Kaakiyre Ofori Ayim, General Secretary of NDC, Aseidu Nketia said, legislation should be passed to bind the Electoral Commissioner as the returning officer of the Presidential Elections to afford the agents of the participating political parties and candidates’ full participation in the collation of the Presidential Election results at the EC’s National Collation Centre.

He said, in the proposal, the party wants the EC to be mandated by law to apply to the courts to remove names of deceased and other unqualified persons from the provisional register when informed by the relevant authorities.

He added that, the development of the country’s electoral process is a major priority of the National Democratic Congress.