The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has denied allegations of violating procurement laws during the reprinting of ballot papers ahead of the 2024 general elections, following a leak of sensitive election materials.
Addressing Parliament on Thursday, June 19, 2025, Deputy Chairperson Dr. Bossman Asare stated that the Commission followed all legal procedures and obtained prior approval from the Central Tender Review Committee (CTRC) before proceeding with the reprint.
“There was no breach of the procurement law. The Commission officially wrote to the CTRC on December 2, and the elections were scheduled for December 7,” Dr. Asare explained.
He further clarified that the printing houses used for the reprint had previously been approved for specific regions, including the Eastern and Central regions. Given the urgency and security concerns, the EC found it appropriate to re-engage the same vendors.
Questions had been raised about the timing of the reprint, with some critics alleging that the EC may have acted before receiving full authorization. However, Dr. Asare emphasized that the Commission consulted relevant stakeholders, including political party representatives, before initiating the process.
According to him, the issue of compromised ballot materials was first detected on Friday, November 29. Discussions with political parties were held two days later, and a joint decision was made to select printing firms capable of completing the job within the tight deadline.
As a result of the reprinting exercise, special voting in the Eastern and Central regions was postponed to accommodate the changes.
Dr. Asare maintained that the Commission acted swiftly and responsibly to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and restore public confidence following the leak.
Source: The Ghana Report.
Comments
Post a Comment