Ghana's opposition party NDC organizes protests around alleged voter roll irregularities
Date
9/18/2024 5:34:21 AM
(MENAFN) On Tuesday, Ghana's largest opposition party, the National Democratic congress (NDC), organized nationwide protests across regional capitals, including the capital city, Accra, demanding an audit of the voter roll ahead of the December general election. According to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, an NDC member of parliament, millions of supporters participated in the protests, although these figures could not be independently verified. The demonstrations took place in all 16 regional capitals of Ghana.
NDC Chairman Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah addressed party members before the march in Accra, emphasizing that the party's demands were not a request but a right to ensure free and fair elections. Ghana has enjoyed a reputation for holding peaceful and transparent elections for nearly two decades. The upcoming general election on December 7 will be the ninth consecutive election since Ghana's return to multi-party democracy in 1992.
The protests were sparked by allegations of irregularities in the voter roll, which the NDC claims include thousands of unauthorized transfers and deletions of voter names. These allegations have raised concerns about potential threats to the country’s democratic process. The electoral commission, however, dismissed the NDC's demand for a forensic audit as “misguided” in a recent press conference.
As part of the protest, a petition was presented to both the parliament and the electoral commission in Accra. The petition calls for a bipartisan investigation into the conduct of the Electoral Commission, an independent forensic audit of the voter register, and the prompt publication of the audit's findings. The election will see former President John Dramani Mahama of the NDC challenging Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party, as current President Akufo-Addo is stepping down after his second term.
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