Confusion broke out at the Ashanti Regional office of the Electoral Commission on Monday, after the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), refused to accept the parliamentary ballot papers sent there for the upcoming polls.
According to the party, the ballot did not have the NPP’s initials printed on it, as it had been done for other parties.
The ballots for the region arrived in the regional capital, Kumasi on Sunday night, but the representatives of the NPP rejected it after inspection.
Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NPP, Sam Payne, told Citi News, “the notice of polls that the EC printed, we noticed some discrepancies. On the notice of poll, you’ll have the emblem of the New Patriotic Party there, with the initials of NPP boldly written as its done to the other political parties; but when you pick the ballot itself, you’ll see the ballot alright, but the initials, NPP wasn’t printed there; but you have other political parties’ printed there, and this is what we drew the attention of the EC to.”
According to Mr. Payne, the party will demand reprinting of the ballot papers if the omission is considered an illegality.
He said although the ballots have already been dispatched to the various electoral areas in the region, the NPP is expecting a swift response to ensure that the party is not disadvantaged during the elections.
He said the Commission in the region has however assured the party that, their complaint will be forwarded to the national headquarters in Accra for the appropriate action to be taken.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citfimonline.com/Ghana