Electoral Commission Says Elections Will Be Held On December 7 Not November

• The Electoral Commission says the 2024 general elections will be held on December 7
• The EC had earlier proposed a November date but critics had pushed against it
• According to EC Deputy Chair, Asare Bossman, the November date will be pushed to 2028

The Electoral Commission (EC) says it has shelved its plans to change the date for the general elections from December 7 to November.

According to the Deputy EC Chairman in charge of Corporate Services, the proposal to ensure that future elections are held in November will be put before Parliament soon.

Eric Asare Bossman explained that the change in date will, however, not take effect this year following an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) consensus that all major electoral reforms should take effect from November 2028.

He revealed in an interview on JoyNews that the Commission will trigger the process in the last few months of the year.

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Early this year, the Commission had tried to push through several major electoral changes ahead of the 2024 elections.

Among other things, the EC proposed the date change, as well as a proposition to designate election days as national holidays.

The EC's proposals to IPAC

These proposals were presented during the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on Monday, January 22, 2024.

According to the EC, designating election days as national holidays would increase voter turnout and ensure a more robust democratic culture.

However, the proposal was shot down by a section of Ghanaians and the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who insisted the EC complies with the November 2028 consensus.

While clarifying issues on JoyNews, Dr Asare Bossman noted that the EC will be adhering to the consensus.

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“The commission should take steps to ensure that in 2028, we are going to have it in November,” he said.

The Deputy EC Chairman further stated that unlike in the current regime where elections fall on December 7, the new proposal will select an actual day for the elections.

"So it can be the first Monday, a second Monday, a third Monday or Tuesday or Friday or Thursday," he explained.

Mahama joins critics of the EC's new date

The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Mahama, had spoken against the change in the election date.

The former president said the proposed change of date for the general elections is not feasible because of the lack of preparedness of the Electoral Commission to conduct the election at a closer date than December 7.

Mahama urged the commission to get its house in order to ensure a credible election in December 2024.

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EC backtracks on halting the use of indelible ink

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that the Electoral Commission (EC) has made a U-turn on its decision to stop the use of indelible ink in elections.

The Deputy EC Chairman said the commission took into account the concerns raised by the general public and the political parties in reaching its decision.

Source: YEN.com.gh