John Mahama raises concerns over EC's proposed changes to voting date and process
Left, John Mahama and right, EC Chairprson Jean Adukwei Mensa
Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has expressed his worries regarding the Electoral Commission's (EC) proposal to shift voting day from December to November.
Read full articleIn the opinion of the former president, the new proposals have the potential to cast doubt on the integrity of the elections.
EC proposed modifying the voting date from December 7 to November 7 for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
Further, the EC has stated that it will not be using indelible ink for the elections.
The NDC has rejected these proposals, urging the EC to postpone the date change to 2028.
Mr. Mahama has expressed concerns regarding the proposed changes, stating that their implementation may lead to chaos if not executed effectively.
The former president has also challenged the timing of the Electoral Commission's proposal, which was made a mere eight months prior to the scheduled polls, considering the consequential nature of the proposed reforms.
Speaking at a breakfast meeting in the Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua, Mahama advised the EC to carefully listen to the concerns raised by political parties and avoid stunning them.
He emphasised the need for transparency and careful consideration in implementing any reforms to maintain the credibility of the electoral process.
“After every election, we sit and consider electoral reforms and we agree on what to do. Since 2020, we have only 9 months to another election and the EC has now come with major changes. No indelible ink and different reforms. When you do that it doesn’t build the confidence of the people in the electoral process," he said.
“We have returned to IPAC after the Peace Council intervened and now they [EC] are saying they want to change the Election date and that they want to bring a new CI to change the old CI but our concern is why wait till now? You don’t spring surprises on people, what if it doesn’t work and it leads to some disturbances…so that is our position,” he added.
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