EC makes U-turn on decision to eliminate use of indelible ink

On February 19, 2024, 7:01 PM

The Electoral Commission (EC) has revealed that it has abandoned its decision to eliminate the use of indelible ink in the 2024 general elections.

According to the Commission, the decision to amend the earlier stance on the avoidance of the indelible ink in this year’s election follows the numerous objections by Ghanaians and various political parties.

The Deputy Electoral Commissioner in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Eric Asare Bossman speaking in an interview said the decision was necessary in building trust and consensus ahead of the December polls.

“After listening to the discussions, we have heard the concerns of the general public, we have heard the parliamentarians, we have heard the concerns of the NPP and the NDC and civil society members so we have concluded that if by using the ink people will have more trust in the process, why not…” he said in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on Joy News.

Recently, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) noted that the avoidance of indelible ink in the 2024 general elections will threaten the integrity of the electoral process.

At a press conference held on Monday, January 8, 2024, at the NDC headquarters in Adabraka, the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah emphasized the importance of retaining the indelible ink, saying it is a crucial component of the election verification process.

Mr. Asiedu Nketiah emphasized that indelible ink plays a multifaceted role in elections. It serves as a visible and transparent means of verifying voters, in addition to the biometric verification already in place.

“The NDC strongly opposes the removal of indelible ink because it visibly, transparently, and physically verifies voters in addition to biometric verification. Indelible ink marks and identifies voters to discourage and prevent them from engaging in multiple voting, particularly when there is apathy”.

“Why do away with this multi-layered tried and tested verification system that adds additional credibility to Ghana’s electoral process?”

He further noted that “In the event of a malfunction of the Biometric Verification Device (BVD), if a voter attempts to vote twice or more, the surest and quickest way to identify such a criminal is the stain of indelible ink on the person’s finger. The EC must not make life easy for criminals to exploit our electoral process. Moreover, without indelible ink, a pliant EC official can allow a voter to vote whether or not the person is on the register at a particular polling station” he added.

Another prominent person who has called on the EC to maintain the use of the indelible ink in the 2024 elections is Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

According to him, since there is no “blessed assurance” from the EC that its database is synchronized, the application of the electoral ink remains the effective method to prevent electoral fraud such as double voting.