The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the People's National Convention (PNC) are calling for a thorough investigation into how a single defaced ballot paper, meant for the Eastern Region, was removed from one of the printing houses contracted by the Electoral Commission (EC).This comes after the EC ordered the recall and reprinting of ballot papers for the Eastern and Western Regions following the detection of a leakage.

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The EC's Chairperson, Jean Mensa, announced at an emergency news conference on Sunday, December 1, that the special voting exercise in these two regions has been suspended and rescheduled to Thursday, December 5.The Commission explained that the incident came to light after being informed by National Security that a defaced ballot paper earmarked for destruction had been improperly taken out of the Checkpoint Printing Limited Printing House.

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This printing house has worked with the EC since 1992.Although all political parties agreed with the decision to recall and reprint the affected ballot papers, both the NDC and PNC insist the matter must be thoroughly investigated to hold culprits accountable.The NDC’s Director of Elections, Dr. Omane Boamah, has urged security agencies, including the National Investigation Bureau (NIB), to immediately launch an investigation into the incident.

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Speaking to Joy News shortly after the EC’s briefing, Dr. Boamah expressed concerns about the potential implications for the credibility of the elections.He stated, “In this case, we were not told whether the National Security or the Police arrested an individual or group of people and whether they are in custody.

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We are saying that the National Security, National Investigation Bureau, the Police, and the CID must let the public know who is involved.”Dr. Boamah emphasized that while the EC’s decision to reprint the ballots addresses immediate concerns, it does not eliminate the risk entirely. “The situation tarnishes the credibility of the general election,” he said, calling for clarity and accountability.

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Similarly, the National Chairman of the PNC, Samson Awingobit, has stressed the need for a probe to uncover how the breach occurred and to punish those responsible. “Destroying the papers alone is not enough. A transparent election is critical to protecting the EC’s image and building confidence among Ghanaians,” he stated.

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The credibility of the upcoming election continues to face scrutiny as the EC has acknowledged three key issues with the ballot papers: a shortfall in ballot papers, errors in serialisation, and the breaking of seals on some of the documents.

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