We wish to share with the general public, in the interest of transparency, a very disturbing turn of events regarding the printing of the Statement of Poll and the Declaration of Results forms, Form Eight, commonly referred to as Pink Sheets.
Today, Aero Vote, the company which won the $8.95 million contract to print the Statement of Poll and Declaration of Results Forms (Form Eight), and other results-related carbonized election forms started the printing of the said forms.
We went there today to inspect the work and were surprised to be told by Aero Vote that they have been told not to emboss serial numbers on the pink sheets.
The contract for the printing of Pink Sheets makes provisions for the printing of 3,000 extra forms. The idea is for each constituency to have 10 extra forms. Those 3,000, will naturally not have the Polling Station Name and Polling Station Code on them. Without serial numbers on them as well, we think this leaves them open to manipulation.
The Public Elections Regulations, 2016 (CI 94) in the Schedules part at pages 48 and 49 has a sample of the exact format that the law says Form Eight, or the Pink Sheet for both parliamentary and presidential results should take. Material to the issue today is that at the top left hand of Form Eight is space for the unique serial number for each form to be inserted.
The Electoral Reforms Committee Report recommended that Serial Numbers must be embossed and be unique to each polling station. This has been stated in the law governing the 2016 general elections, CI 94.
Since then, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission has said publicly that Pink Sheets will have serial numbers. We are, therefore, surprised to be told at the final hour of printing by those contracted to print that they have been instructed by the same Commission not to bother putting serial numbers on the Pink Sheets.
This is not acceptable. It affects the integrity of the base document for the declaration of results.
We have written to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission requesting for an emergency meeting of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee to discuss this issue and other matters, including seeking complete clarity on what happens in the event of over- voting.
Ghanaians recall how Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, the then Chairman of the Electoral Commission, could not explain to the Supreme Court at the election petition trial of 2013 why the Commission in 2012 instructed the printer to produce another set of at least 26,002 Pink Sheets, duplicating serial numbers.
The company which did the printing of Pink Sheets in 2012, through a sub contract from a Ghanaian company, was this same Aero Vote, then a UK security printing firm, before it went into liquidation and closed down in 2013.
Aero Vote has since moved to Ghana, winning the contract for this year’s forms on its own steam as a Ghanaian company. Details of the printing work includes the printing of 29,000 Forms Eight EL 21 A and EL 22A for the parliamentary results pink sheets and their 3,000 replacements (in case of damage or errors); 29,000 Forms EL 21B and EL 22B for the presidential results, plus 3,000 replacements; 275 collation sheets each and 30 replacements each for the parliamentary (EL 23A) and presidential (EL 23B) polls, respectively and; 275 Constituency Results Summary Sheets plus 30 replacements each for parliamentary (EL 24A) and presidential (EL 24B) results, respectively. All will come with carbonized copies for candidates or their agents.
We want to throw light on this matter of omitting serial numbers on the Pink Sheets quickly so that the Commission can take immediate steps to correct this serious anomaly for the forms being printed to conform to the law, CI 94.
Time is not on our side. The election is three weeks away. We do not need another court case. Let us do what is right now to protect the national quest for credible and peaceful elections.
Thank you.
Source: Communications Directorate - New Patriotic Party
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Abaa EC why ! Why!! Why!!!
IMAGINE THE BANK OF GHANA PRINTING CEDI NOTES WITHOUT SERIAL NUMBERS. IMAGINE THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE PRINTING VAT RECEIPTS WITHOUT SERIAL NUMBERS. IMAGINE PAYING YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL FEES AND GETTING A RECEIPT WITHOUT A SERIAL NUMBER. WHAT COULD BE THE MOTIVE BEHIND THESE SCENARIOS? THAT IS EXACTLY THE INTENTION BEHIND THE EC PRINTING PINK SHEETS WITHOUT SERIAL NUMBERS. THE E.C. IS PREPARING A PLATFORM AND RECIPE FOR FUTURE CHAOS AND CONTROVERSY. DISCERNING MINDS MUST TALK NOW. PEACE COUNCIL, I AM PERSONALLY APPEALING TO YOU. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE PLEASE.
NPP dont sit on radio station and television station please go to S court
AS COORDINATOR, FOR IDEG, IEA AND JUSTICE AND PEACE IN 2012 ELECTIONS IN GHANA, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PINK SHEET IN COLLATING ELECTION RESULTS. IF THIS CLAIMS ARE TRUE THEN THE EC HAS BECOME A THREAT TO GHANA AND IT IS LOOKING FOR A SCAPEGOAT TO POSTPONE THE ELECTIONS. WE MUST ALL PRAY AND ACT TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE SITUATION RATHER THAN TO SIT DOWN TO ALLOW SOME CRIIIMINALS UNDER THE GUISE OF EC TO DESTROY THE NATION. CIVIL SOCIETY, RELIGIOUS BODY NANANOM MUST ALL WAKE UP TO DEFEND THE NATION. pop
I HAVE NEVER MET A PUBLIC FIGURE WHO IS SO UNSTABLE LIKE THE PRESENT EC. SHE SEEMS TO HAVE NO MIND OF HERSELF. SHE IS SO DISGRACEFUL THAT SHE DOESN'T FEEL ASHAMED TO TAKE INSULT FROM ANYBODY, INCLUDING AYARIGA. SHE IS SO DISHONORABLE THAT SHE DOES NOT CARE TO LOSE COURT CASE TO ANYBODY. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHETHER SHE IS DOING ALL THIS OUT OF SHEER STUPIDITTY OR UNDER A SPELL OF CHARM FROM MAHAMA GOVT. WHICH APPOINTED HER. WE WERE ALL UNCOMFORTABLE AND SYMPATHETIC WHEN KENEDY AGYAPONG SAID ALL MANNER OF THINGS ABOUT HER BUT SHE COMPELS ANY THINKING PERSON TO BELIEVE ALL THAT WAS SAID ABOUT HER. IT IS VERY UNFORTUNATE BUT SHE IS A SHAME TO MAHAMA GOVERNMENT WHO APPOINTED A MEDIOCRITY LIKE HER TO SUCH A RESPONSIBLE OFFICE. I BELIEVE PEACE COUNCIL, THE SUPREME COURT, NANANOM, RELIGIOUS BODIES, AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY WOULD AGREE TO SEEK HER REPLACEMENT IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID ANY CATASTROPHE AT THE ELECTIONS. SHE HAS NOT BY HERSELF DONE A SINGLE ACT RIGHT.
AFTER ***barred word*** AND STASHING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DUBAI, THIS GREEDY JOHN MAHAMA AND THIS NIGERIAN FRAUDSTER MASQUERADING AS GHANAIAN ARE STILL BENT ON SETTING GHANA IN FLAMES.....MARK MY WORDS, THEY WILL FAIL AT ALL COST!!!!
The EC is not serious. Let's go to court tomorrow that's all. The flavour of change is everywhere you go..... #changeiscoming