Audio Attachment:Listen Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah in an interview on 'kokrokoo' |
The Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday (Monday) dismissed reports that it printed a wrong logo for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the parliamentary ballot sheets.
A statement by the Commission Monday signed by Eric Dzakpasu said it worked closely with representatives of the various political parties on the acceptable logo before printing them on the Notice of Polls and ballot sheets.
“For the Parliamentary Notice of Polls and Ballot Sheets, the New Patriotic Party specifically indicated their satisfaction with the logo as processed for printing,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako has refused to accept the parliamentary ballot printed by the EC citing the absence of the party’s abbreviation.
Read full statement by the Electoral Commission:
CLARIFICATION: POLITICAL PARTY LOGO ON BALLOT SHEETS
The Commission’s attention has been drawn to reports in sections of the media suggesting that the Commission had printed a ‘wrong logo’ for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the Parliamentary ballot sheets. We would like to place on the records that the claim is entirely inaccurate.
Below are the facts:
All Political Parties participating in this year’s elections worked closely with the Commission’s Directorate of Electoral Services to agree on the acceptable logo for their parties to be printed on the Notice of Polls and the ballots sheets.
For the Parliamentary Notice of Polls and Ballot Sheets, the New Patriotic Party specifically indicated their satisfaction with the logo as processed for printing.
During the printing process, not only did the party have its representatives at the printing houses at all material times, high-ranking officers of the party visited the printing houses regularly to monitor the process. At no point did they raise any objections about the NPP’s logo as it was being printed.
For the avoidance of doubt, we have added the NPP’s official logo as it appears on the party’s letterheads. It is clear from the pictures that the party uses these two versions of their logo interchangeably. Both do not include the party’s acronym as now being claimed
We would like to further place on the record that it is only for the Presidential Ballot that the NPP has specifically requested that its acronym should be added to the logo, and that has been done.
Therefore, it cannot be accurate that the Commission committed any design or printing errors as being speculated or claimed.
Thank you.
Signed:
ERIC KOFI DZAKPASU
Head of Communications
RE: CLARIFICATION: POLITICAL PARTY LOGO ON BALLOT SHEETS.
![](https://w5p2r8x5.stackpathcdn.com/photos/news/201611/452232922_904733.jpg)
However, minutes after the issuance of the Electoral Commission's statement, the NPP Election Directorate issued a rejoinder.
NPP's Director of Elections, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah spoke in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' to clarify the issue on Tuesday morning.
Read below the rejoinder:
We refer to the statement issued by the Electoral Commission on the evening of Monday, 14th of November 2016 in an apparent response to concerns expressed by some members of the NPP over the omission of the party's initials beneath it's symbol on the Parliamentary ballot sheets and wish to point out the obvious distortions and untruths therein.
1. The Electoral Commission printed Parliamentary Notices of Polls with different inscriptions in the blue portion of the NPP logo/symbol.
2. Whilst for instance the Notice of Poll in the Asante Akyem North Constituency had in the blue portion of the NPP symbol "MOTTO: DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM", another one for Kwadaso had " NPP: DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM". But both had NPP written beneath the symbol and all of these are public and copies can be verified.
3. The NPP supervisors quickly drew the Commission's attention at the printing houses to correct this anomaly. In doing this correction, the NPP initials beneath the symbol was also removed.
4. We again noticed that and quickly asked for it to be reinstated, only to be informed by the Commission's supervisors that it was too late for the initials to be included.
5. The Commission further took the position that it had not errerd in removing the "NPP" initials placed beneath the symbol since the NPP official logo/symbol had no such initials included in it.
6. It however made a surprise turn around in bringing the NPP initial back on the Presidential Notice of Poll and ballot sheets.
7. At no point did NPP supervisors at the printing houses express satisfaction/approval over the removal of Party initials from the Parliamentary Notice of Poll and ballot sheets as is being suggested by the Electoral Commission.
We urge party members/supporters and voters in general to remain calm and focused on the Great Elephant symbol. 3y3 Osono.
Election Directorate, NPP.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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NPP complains about very thing. Why?
Vigilance will win the game this December. Thank you Mr. Korsah for being there for the people of Ghana. Blessings.
go to the npp website and you will appreciate the fact that the regional chairman made a mill out of the whole issue, as there is no co-ordination.
DISAPORA FOR NANA IS DECLARING NO NANA NO MONEY TRANSFER THIS DECEMBER
You see, sometimes I doubt the managerial capabilities of the EC Chair. This is why: In the case of this NPP Logo rumpus, EC should have drawn NPP attention at the time, (if indeed NPP approved without the initials)that, NPP was the only odd one out of all the 17 or so parties which did not have the initials. So in the interest of uniformity and level playing field, NPP would have surely obliged to have it. But EC kept this simple information away from NPP now see the problem. So EC cannot add a bit of JSS sense to its work despite all this luxurious conditions of service that it is enjoying? President John Mahama please appoint capable people to give the tax payer value for money not people who cannot just use their common sense like this EC woman! We are fed up with mediocrity; oh ho!
Great work korsah. Focus on the symbol. EC wadapaa adadi. Charlotte think twice oooooo.
the center cannot hold.
I can smell something fishy from the EC and the ruling gov't, The only parties that have problems with their logos are the NDP Madam Kunadu Rawlings party and the NPP.
It is not the responsibility of NPP to have the correct logo printed. NPP is not paid to do that. EC's argument is infantile and does smack of incompetence. THEY SHOULD CORRECT IT NOW!! We just a few days back, it was disqualifying presidential and parliamentary candidates over common errors,only to find them making similar errors.
EC HAS AGENDA TO RIG FOR NDC. NDC KNOWS HOW TO USE TAX PAYERS MONEY TO INFLUENCE THE MINDS OF JOURNALISTS, EC OFFICIALS AND POLLING AGENTS TO RIG THE ELECTION. IF THE OFFICIALS OF EC ARE FAIR, THIS ANOMALY COULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED BEFORE PRINTING. IT IS DELIBERATE ATTEMPT BY EC TO HIDE NPP FROM THE LOGO. NPP SHOULD WATCH CAREFULLY THE PRINTING OF BALLOT PAPERS, THE PRINTING OF PINK SHEETS TO PREVENT EC FROM PRINTING DOUBLE BALLOT PAPERS AND DOUBLE PINK SHEETS. EC OFFICIALS CONSCIENCES HAVE BEEN BOUGHT BY NDC