The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has lauded the Electoral Commission for making available online, the forms for the presidential aspirants for the 2024 elections.
He says unlike the previous years where the forms were kept at the Commission, digitalising it has made it easier for candidates to access it.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia was speaking on Onua TV’s morning show, Maakye, Tuesday, August 20, 2024, when he made the statement.
“I want to applaud them (Electoral Commission) for putting the presidential forms online for everyone to access. This time around they have done well,” he commended.
However, he raised concerns over the possibility of an unqualified electorate endorsing an aspirant and getting the latter’s nomination nullified after the provisional register has been finalised.
According to him, since the final register has not been completed, one cannot substantiate the validity of a candidate which can be challenged and removed from the register based on various grounds.
He said this issue may arise because the EC failed to issue the register to the political parties on time.
But reacting to the issue on the same show, the Director of Training and IT at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, clarified that the nomination form of an aspirant cannot be invalidated by the endorsement of an unqualified voter.
He says the the Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) guiding the electoral processes says a registered voter is someone whose name is found on the provisional voters’ register and not the final document.
According to him, once the person’s name appears on the provisional register and has a valid ID number, he qualifies to endorse a candidate, and as to whether he is expunged from the final document or not, does not affect the candidate in question.
“Regulation 50 of the CI says a registered voter is someone whose name is in the provisional register,” said Dr. Serebour Quaicoe.
Content by: Felix Anim-Appau
