The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to print results forms (Form Eight) popularly referred as Pink Sheets without serial numbers is illegal.
NPP Director of Elections, Martin Agyei Mensah Korsah said they were told about the decision when some party representatives paid a visit to Aero Vote, the company in charge of the printing.
He said one Commander Cedar who works with the company conducted the NPP representatives around the building and showed them a copy of the pink sheet without the serial number.
This act, Mr Mensah Korsah believes contradicts the directives in the Constitutional Instrument (C. I.94), the law governing the 2016 election.
“If you are providing a pink sheet without serial numbers, what it means is that it leave them open to abuse,” he told Evans Mensah, host of Joy FM’s Top Story programme Tuesday.
The EC has commenced printing of the Notice of polls as well as other auxiliary documents for the presidential election.
Aero Vote, the company that won the $8.5 million contract, has been liaising with agents of political parties and the Commission to ensure that all the stakeholders are satisfied with the work.
Per the Public Elections Regulations, 2016 (C.I.94) Form Eight, or the Pink Sheet for both presidential and parliamentary results should have unique serial numbers affix at the top.
But Mr Mensah Korsah said they were taken by surprise when they got to the premises of the Aero Vote and were told the Pink Sheets would not have serial numbers.
“It simply defies every effort taken to improve our election if not for anything at all from the last experience,” he said.
He said they have served a letter to the Commission to hold an emergency Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) to deal with the matter.
Mr Mensah Korsah said the EC should not push the party to head to court to have the issue resolved when it could be done amicably. EC Deputy Director of Communications, Yussif Ayuba has told Joy News the agreement was that there was going to be unique numbers on the Pink Sheets and that was exactly what they did.
He, however, hinted the Commission would be issuing a statement, stating its position on the matter as raised by the NPP.
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