The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency Chairman of Afigya Kwabre South Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, is calling on the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Police to grant political parties access to Special Voting ballot boxes to safeguard the process.
Special voting for media, EC officials, and security forces will take place on December 1, 2016 and votes kept for days are counted on December 7 during the general voting day.
But speaking on Abusua FM’s Abusua Nkommo hosted by Kwame Adinkrah, Mr. Appiah suggested that ballot boxes should have political parties’ padlocks or votes counted same day.
He added that the results should be declared as well, saying it is wrong for ballot boxes to be kept days before counting.
This he said will ensure free and fair elections of the early voting.
The NPP Constituency Chairman of Afigya Kwabre wondered why the votes cannot be counted the same day.
According to him, they are willing to keep vigil over the ballot boxes within the speculated days to ensure that the boxes are not tampered with or stolen if given access.
‘Political parties should be given access to guarding of special voting of ballot boxes. Polling agents should be assigned to the venue either the police station or wherever the boxes will be kept, so that we all guard it.
If the votes won’t be counted before the main elections, political parties should be given the opportunity to also lock the ballot boxes with their padlocks, this will promote free and fair elections,’ he suggested.
He called on the public to join in the campaign, threatening to hit the streets or file a suit against the EC if negotiations fail.
‘Looking at how our democracy has deepened, the votes should be counted before the main elections, in the few days we will channel our concerns to the EC and IGP by writing letters so that the decision is revised. If they don’t agree with us, we will stage a demonstration or go to court, we want free and fair elections,’ he said.
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