EC poised to deliver credible, peaceful elections—Kwame Amoah affirms

The Greater Accra Regional Director of Elections, Kwame Amoah, has affirmed that the Electoral Commission (EC) is poised to hold a credible and peaceful polls on December 7.

He said the region had taken delivery of all electoral materials for the conduct of the general election from the National Head Office, with the exception of Biometric Verification Machines (BVDs).

According to him, “the region has commenced dispatching electoral materials to the various districts, due to the region’s proximity to the National Head Office, its often part of few regions which received the BVDs last.”

Speaking in a telephone interview with the Ghanaian Times, Mr Amoah mentioned that all ballot papers were being kept at the Regional Police Armoury and upon receipt of BVDs, both would be kept there and be sent to respective polling stations few days to the elections, “due to its sensitivity.”

“District Election Officers will go for them few days to election time and parcel them on polling station basis before they are dispatched, training of a total of 45,642 “grassroots” officials who will be responsible for all polling station activities is ongoing.

“The training which commenced on November 17 and end on November 28, is to acquaint EC officials on processes for them to deliver free, fair, credible, transparent and peaceful elections.

“On election day, each of the 7,607 polling stations in the Greater Accra Region will have six election officers, while, 15,214 BVDs will be deployed to the polling stations and they will comprise of presiding officer, name referencing list officer, verification officer, two ballot issuers (one for Presidential and the other for Parliamentary) as well as a coronavirus pandemic ambassador,” Mr Amoah indicated.

In view of the pandemic, he explained that the coronavirus ambassadors would provide constant reminder to election officers, especially those who would handle the BVDs to frequently sanitise the machines and their hands, also ensure that the electorate wash and wiped their hands before commencing voting processes, socially distance while wearing of nose masks.

According to the EC, a total of 17,029,981 registered voters were on the newly compiled electoral roll, out of which 3,509,805 were electorate from the Greater Accra Region.

BY FRANCIS NTOW