Change of election date: NDC reinforces opposition to November proposal

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is insisting the Electoral Commission maintains the December 07 election day rather than the November it is proposing.

The NDC says the Commission should consider the changes after the 2024 elections since the time would not be right to effect the change with elections barely eleven (11) months away.

At an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting Monday, January 28, 2024, the NDC reiterated its earlier position on the proposition saying the best time to initiate the process is post election 2024 since the EC failed to do so after the 2016 and 2020 polls.

The Director of Elections and IT for the NDC, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, after the meeting noted the EC should revise its notes and activate the process after the December 07 polls.

EC wants to hold general elections on November 7

“After the 2016 elections, the EC could have put these reforms for 2017, 2018 and 2019 and not in an election year. If anybody makes the argument of COVID, it doesn’t arise because COVID entered Ghana in March 2020 so the EC could have activated the process before 2017, 2018 and 2019.

“Even beyond 2020 why did the EC wait, only to want to do this in another election year. So we think that lessons have been learnt from the past so that from 2025, all these issues must be brought on board for activation and then we can build the processes through parliament,” Dr. Omane Boamah explained.

Meanwhile, the Director of Elections for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Evans Nimako has indicated that since the NDC is opposing the idea, the they will look up to the EC to come up with a plan to see the way forward.

“The NDC says no and so we now leave everything in the care of the EC to come out with their programme lineup for the year so we see how it goes. The NDC are saying no because they had in 2016 proposed the November 7 idea and had sponsored it even in Parliament, except that it could not pass. And today that we would have gotten enough time to prepare towards December 07, or what it be, November 07, they say no. For us as New Patriotic Party, we leave it in the care of the EC. We’ve also said that it is important we broadly consult so that every decision the EC will take will be what will enhance our democracy,” he noted.

We are opposed to Nov. 7 election date because the NPP rejected same in 2016 – NDC