EC refutes ballot interception claims

The Electoral Commission (EC) has countered reports ballot papers for December’s presidential and parliamentary elections were intercepted in the offices of an unnamed political party in the Upper West Region.

Pictures emerged on social media on Saturday afternoon of sealed and partly opened packages containing booklets believed to be freshly printed ballot papers found at the said party office.

Below is the statement from the commission:

1. The printed ballots for the Upper West Region arrived at the Regional Police Headquarters in Wa this morning. The representatives of the political parties in the region were invited to witness the delivery process and confirm their seals on the bag. Some of these political party representatives took these pictures at the Wa Regional Police HQ. We are surprised to note that these same political party representatives are circulating these pictures with such ludicrous claims. This is totally irresponsible and unacceptable.
2. For the records, the printing process of the ballot was closely monitored by representatives of the political parties on a 24-hour shift basis.
3. There was also a 24-hour police protection of the ballot printing process.
4. Record was taken of every single ballot printed and at the end of the day, the printing house was closed in the presence of all political party representatives.
5. Every morning, the printing house was not opened unless the representatives of the political parties were present and printing did not start until all the representatives of the political parties were present.
6. After the ballot printing process has been completed, the ballot papers were packaged and labelled per constituency as below, and the political parties placed their uniquely numbered seals on the bags as below.
7. Even the movement of the ballots was closely monitored by the police and the political parties are duly notified.
8. On election day, the ballot paper is only valid if it bears the Commission's unique stamps.
9. We would like to state categorically that it is totally untrue for anybody to claim that the ballots below were intercepted in another political party's office.
10. The Commission would like to call on all political parties to stop this irresponsible behaviour deliberately calculated to cause public disaffection towards the EC.

Thank you.