By:Yesmeen Abubakar Tetteh.
The Minority in Parliament has vowed to oppose the removal of the indelible ink from the 2024 electoral process.
According to Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority Leader, the NDC MPs would strongly resist any efforts by the Electoral Commission (EC) to eliminate the use of indelible ink during the upcoming 2024 elections.
In his opening address in Parliament on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, Dr Forson emphasized, “Mr Speaker, we will not countenance the elimination of indelible ink from the electoral process. We will not! Read my lips, we will not! Touch wood, we will not.”
He argued that the use of indelible ink during elections has been a proven and reliable method for identifying voters who have cast their ballots and criticized the EC’s plans to scrap the ink in favour of a more “modern” verification method.
It has been reported that Madam Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the EC, announced plans to eliminate indelible ink in district-level elections and subsequent polls as part of efforts to enhance the electoral process. However, this decision has faced opposition from the largest opposition National Democratic Congress and other stakeholders.
Dr Forson emphasized in Parliament that indelible ink has not only been a staple of Ghana’s elections in the Fourth Republic but also a reliable method for preventing multiple voting by providing visible identification of voters.
“Mr Speaker, the truth of the matter is that the use of indelible ink in our electoral process does not harm the conduct of free and fair elections in Ghana.”
He added that indelible ink contributes to the integrity of elections by ensuring transparent and physical verification of voters alongside biometric verification.
