The New Patriotic Party(NPP) has denied claims by the Electoral Commission(EC) that it(NPP) sanctioned its logo used on the 2016 parliamentary ballot sheets by the commission.
A statement released by the opposition NPP said: “At no point did NPP supervisors at the printing houses express satisfaction/approval over the removal of Party initials from the Parliamentary Notice of Poll and ballot sheets as is being suggested by the Electoral Commission.”
The commission Monday said some high ranking officials of the NPP witnessed the printing of the ballots in the printing houses as they visited the place regularly to monitor the process, hence the party has no basis to raise concerns after the printing process.
But the party in its statement to counter claims by the Election Management Body(EMB) over the omission of the party’s initials beneath it’s symbol on the Parliamentary ballot sheets said the EC printed Parliamentary Notices of Polls with different inscriptions in the blue portion of the NPP logo/symbol.
According to the statement, the NPP supervisors quickly drew the Commission’s attention at the printing houses to correct the anomaly that was identified but said in doing this correction, the NPP initials beneath the symbol was also removed.
The statement further said: “We again noticed that and quickly asked for it to be reinstated, only to be informed by the Commission’s supervisors that it was too late for the initials to be included.”
The party said after the EC taking an entrenched position that it had not erred in removing the “NPP” initials made a surprise turn around in bringing the NPP initial back on the Presidential Notice of Poll and ballot sheets.
The NPP expressed dismay in what it described as “the obvious distortions and untruths” being churned around by the commission in the matter.
However it asked members/supporters of the party to remain calm as it resolves the matter with the commission.
Full statement published below
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
Tuesday 15th November 2016.
RE: CLARIFICATION: POLITICAL PARTY LOGO ON BALLOT SHEETS.
We refer to the statement issued by the Electoral Commission on the evening of Monday, 14th of November 2016 in an apparent response to concerns expressed by some members of the NPP over the omission of the party’s initials beneath it’s symbol on the Parliamentary ballot sheets and wish to point out the obvious distortions and untruths therein.
1. The Electoral Commission printed Parliamentary Notices of Polls with different inscriptions in the blue portion of the NPP logo/symbol.
2. Whilst for instance the Notice of Poll in the Asante Akyem South Constituency had in the blue portion of the NPP symbol “MOTTO: DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM”, another one for Kwadaso had ” NPP: DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM”. But both had NPP written beneath the symbol and all of these are public and copies can be verified.
3. The NPP supervisors quickly drew the Commission’s attention at the printing houses to correct this anomaly. In doing this correction, the NPP initials beneath the symbol was also removed.
4. We again noticed that and quickly asked for it to be reinstated, only to be informed by the Commission’s supervisors that it was too late for the initials to be included.
5. The Commission further took the position that it had not errerd in removing the “NPP” initials placed beneath the symbol since the NPP official logo/symbol had no such initials included in it.
6. It however made a surprise turn around in bringing the NPP initial back on the Presidential Notice of Poll and ballot sheets.
7. At no point did NPP supervisors at the printing houses express satisfaction/approval over the removal of Party initials from the Parliamentary Notice of Poll and ballot sheets as is being suggested by the Electoral Commission.
We urge party members/supporters and voters in general to remain calm and focused on the Great Elephant symbol. 3y3 Osono.
Election Directorate,
NPP.
