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.
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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So with ALL the brains you have working in this, none of you felt it right to set ECs own standard.? Again none of you saw the inconsistencies in the logos? So if NDC mistakenly brought DNO would you have gone ahead to use it? I now understand why your brains are so tiny because its swollen!
WELL, IT MAY SOUND PETTY. BUT THIS IS THE TIME TO MAKE NOISE, BECAUSE AFTER DECLARATION OF RESULTS, NOISES DON'T MATTER ANYMORE. IF ALL CONSTITUENCIES HAD IT THAT WAY, NO PROBLEM, BUT WHEN ALL PARTIES IN ALL CONSTITUENCIES HAVE THEIR LOGO AND ACRONYMS EXCEPT THE NPP IN SELECTED CONSTITUENCIES, AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS PETTY? LET'S BE CLEAR ON THIS. IF EVEN THE NPP WANTED IT THEIR WAY, THE E.C MUST HAVE THEIR STANDARDS OF DOING THINGS, NOT HOW PARTIES WANT THEM DONE.IT IS TOO GLARING! WHY ONLY NPP ALWAYS!
Ohhh NOOO. The NPP surprisingly is becoming too petty. From register to logo, they are just becoming lincensed irritants. We are tired of these rubbish
I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE PEOPLE IN EC THINK. WHY SHOULD THEY TARGET ONLY ONE PARTY TO MAKE SUCH AN OBVIOUS AND A SILLLY MISTAKES. IS IT THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE ELECTIONS IN GHANA THAT INCLUDE NPP. EC HAS ALWAYS PRINTED BALLOT PAPERS THAT INCLUDED NPP. WHY ARE THEY DOING IT WRONG THIS TIME. AND IF IT IS ERROR WHY SHOULD EC FIGHTS OVER IT WHEN IT CAN CHANGE WITHOUT ANOTHER COURT. IT IS STRANGE WHEN ALL THIS ERRORS ABOUT COLOURS AND ACRONYMS ARE MADE TO THE LOGO OF NPP AND NOT ANY OTHER PARTY. IT CREATES AN IMPRESSION THAT SOME PEOPLE AT EC HAVE TARGETED NPP TO CONFUSE THEIR SUPPORTERS TO VOTE WRONGLY AT THE POLLS AND CAUSE MORE SPOILED BALLOTS FOR NPP VOTES.SUCH AN ATTITUDE OF EC CONFIRM THE DOUBT ABOUT THE GENUINENESS OF EC TO CARRY OUT FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS FOR THE DECEMBER POLLS. ERIC KOFI DZAKPASU STOP DEFENDING THE DIABOLIC AGENDA AND LET EC DO THE RIGHT THING. PLEASE EC, COMMON SENSE DEMANDS THAT YOU MUST BE FAIR TO ALL THE PARTIES AND PROVIDE A COMMON PLATFORM FOR THEM AT THE POLLS. IF YOU FIND IT WISE TO USE ACRONYMS FOR ALL THE PARTIES WHY DO YOU FAIL TO PROMPT NPP TO DO SO IF YOUR CLAIM IS TRUE THAT THEY DID NOT INCLUDE IT. WHAT IS THE POINT FOR THEM TO MAKE THEIR PARLIAMENTARY LOGO DIFFERENT FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL ONE.DO THEY WANT TO CONFUSE THEIR SUPPORTERS? EC. YOUR ACTION IS A REVELATION OF YOUR EVIL PLAN FOR THAT PARTY. YOU MUST KNOW THAT THE EVIL THAT MEN DO LIVES AFTER THEM. DONT YOU KNOW THAT GOD WILL PUNISH YOU IF THIS HAS BEE DONE IN BAD FAITH.
Ebei NPP. We are tired of you. Some of you are making the party unattractive to us. Why do you keep complaining about every and anything. When at all are you going to get satisfied? You are doing all these so you can have reasons to say the polls have been rigged. We have had enough of your ***barred word***.
Here is an EC that insists on precision and hence could disqualify presidential aspirants based on little errors, yet would use two different logos for the same party on statement of poll and ballot paper. Where is the EC's claim to precision and accuracy? Whoever calls for equity must come with clean hands. How on earth could this happen? Did the EC use two different logos for the other parties on the statement of poll and ballot papers? This must be deliberate or sheer incompetence, like Opana's own. No matter what Charlotte does for her darling, it wont work. Time is strictly up!
You see ooh, a party in confusion will never remain stable. That is how the NPP is. Making un-necessary noise where is no need. Creating these noises so when they lose they have alibi; and say we told you. Ghanaians have grown out from these tricks.
Since when did NPP's logo changed with the initials written under the logo as it is with other political parties logo? And since when did we use any logo other than the one being used today for an elections in Ghana. Everything that the EC does will never be appreciated by the NPP.
LET NPP SYMBOL WINS THE ELECTION FOR THEM. INSTEAD OF SELLING YOUR IDEAS TO THE POPULACE FOR VOTE YOU ARE WASTING TIME TALKING ABOUT SYMBOLS AS IF SYMBOLS DO VOTE. SEAT THERE AND COMPLAIN ABOUT ***barred word*** THINGS THAT WON'T WIN YOU A VOTE.VERY SOON NPP WILL ASK THEIR COLOURS TO BE VERY DEEP THAN IT IS NOW.
GOD SAVE GHANA. IT NOW APPEARS THE CREDIBILITY OF THIS YEAR'S ELECTION IS THAT NPP HAS BEEN DECLARED WINNER.