We won’t be deceived by EC’s cancellation of Yasarko contract – NDC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has levelled fresh accusations against the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, alleging that the Commission misrepresented the readiness of YASARKO, a printing company, to handle the production of ballot materials for this year’s election.

The NDC claims that the EC, despite stating that due diligence was conducted, awarded YASARKO the contract without verifying its current operational capacity.

According to NDC’s, Director of Elections and IT YASARKO’s inability to deliver on the contract was foreseeable.

Dr Edaward Omane Boamah in a statement dated October 28, 2024 and posted on his Facebook wall argued that while YASARKO printed ballots in 2008, recent years have seen rapid changes in technology and resource needs, factors that the EC allegedly ignored when assessing the company’s qualifications for this year’s task.

“The question remains: why would a serious tender entity bypass verifying the current capacity of a company tasked with such a critical role?” Dr Boamah said.

The NDC has also raised broader concerns over the EC’s operational integrity, pointing to various incidents that, they argue, reflect mismanagement within the Commission:

Loss of Biometric Verification Devices (BVD) and Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits: NDC claims these incidents suggest poor security and oversight in managing sensitive election equipment.

Errors in the Voter Registration Exercise: The EC faced criticism earlier this year for arithmetic mistakes during the limited voter registration exercise, which it attributed to software issues, specifically the use of Corel Draw.

Network Failures and Disruptions: Persistent network issues have reportedly hindered the EC’s ability to perform registration and verification tasks smoothly.

Alleged Manipulation of Voter Register: The NDC has previously alleged that the EC engaged in systematic voter register adjustments, which the opposition views as potentially compromising the election’s fairness.

Procurement Issues: The EC’s procurement processes have also come under scrutiny, with the NDC citing these as part of a pattern of alleged inefficiency.

As election day approaches, the NDC is calling on Ghanaians to support John Dramani Mahama, who has pledged to address economic challenges and create well-paying jobs through his 24-hour economy initiative.

In light of these allegations, the NDC has reinforced its commitment to monitoring the electoral process closely to safeguard its integrity.

The party’s “Eagle Eyes” initiative, which mobilizes agents and supervisors to oversee ballot printing and other election activities, is part of its efforts to prevent irregularities.