Nearly 200k individuals recruited for December polls – Bossman Asare
Deputy Chairman for Corporate Services of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Bossman Asare, has assured the public that the EC is fully prepared for the upcoming elections.
He stated that all necessary measures to ensure a transparent, free, and fair election were in place.
“We have just completed the exhibition of the voter register. The next step for the Commission is to finalize the register.
“We have also recruited almost 200,000 individuals who are going to work with us at all the various polling stations; almost 40,653 polling stations.”
Dr. Asare detailed the upcoming electoral timeline, stating that candidates will need to file their nominations between September 9 and September 13, 2024.
He also mentioned that the Electoral Commission will then print the notice of poll, which will include a list of candidates for both parliamentary and presidential elections across all 276 constituencies.
“After which we are going to print the ballot papers we are going to use for the elections. So from the perspective and the standpoint of the Electoral Commission, we are fully ready for a successful, peaceful, transparent and credible general election,” he said in an interview with Joy News.
Background
Ghana’s upcoming presidential elections will usher in a new leader as President Nana Akufo-Addo completes his constitutionally mandated two terms in office.
This election will mark Ghana’s fifth presidential transition since the return to multiparty democracy in 1992, reinforcing the country’s reputation for predictable and rules-based leadership changes.
Notably, three of these transitions involved shifts between rival political parties, highlighting Ghanaians’ commitment to respecting electoral results and ensuring fair power-sharing.
The country’s political landscape has seen significant shifts between its two major parties: the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The NDC’s presidential candidate John Mahama served as Ghana’s president from 2012 to 2017.
Mr Mahama, who lost narrowly to Akufo-Addo in the 2016 and 2020 elections, demonstrated his commitment to democratic values by accepting his 2016 defeat and ensuring a smooth transition of power.
For the NPP, the presidential candidate will be Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who is a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank.
Dr Bawumia is recognized as a highly skilled technocrat.