Vote Transfer: Omane Boamah Fumes over EC Ban on Party Agents

The Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, has kicked against the Electoral Commission’s decision to ban party agents from Centres where vote transfer is ongoing.

The Commission in a memo instructed its Regional Directors to inform district directors about the ban of political party agents from observing the ongoing transfer of votes effective June 3.

The directive is premised on some violent incidents recorded at some of its centres including one at the Awutu Senya East Constituency in the Central Region on Sunday, June 2, 2024, which was nearly fatal.

This has not settled down well with the members of the opposition party who feel it’s an avenue to compromise data.

At one centre visited by Omane Boamah on Monday where he was served the news, his irritation was evident as he directed his party agents to remain at the venue despite the EC’s directive.

“Please stay around peacefully but make sure nobody who does not live within the place or who has not lived there for more than 12 months is allowed to register. The rest of it we are dealing with it.”

Addressing the media at the centre, he said the directive erodes transparency in the process and is ultra vires.

“Basically, we came here to talk to this gentleman who is working for the Electoral Commission. He says that he has received a memo from the Electoral Commission which says he shouldn’t allow agents of political parties to observe the transfer process.

“This directive is not found in any electoral law, not found in CI 91 as amended by CI 216, not found in CI 127. It is not found in any electoral law. So why will they be implementing such a directive… So I told him if the EC directs you to cheat for the NPP, you are going to do it because what you are implementing {currently} frowns on transparency.”