We didn’t sanction ballot paper logo - NPP

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has refuted suggestions by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana that the party had approved a logo without their initials to be printed on parliamentary ballots.

“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,” a statement from the party indicated on Tuesday, November 15.

The NPP in the Ashanti Region had rejected the parliamentary ballot papers for this year’s elections over errors. The regional chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, led a protest at the regional office of the EC. According to the party, the initials of the NPP are missing on the ballot papers. The party said it did not understand why the initials of all the other contesting parties appeared except those of the NPP.

However, the EC through a statement issued by its Head of Communications, Kofi Dzakpasu on Monday, November 14 explained that: “During the printing process, not only did the party have its representatives at the printing houses at all material times, [but also] high-ranking officers of the party visited the printing houses regularly to monitor the process. At no point did they raise any objections about the NPP’s logo as it was being printed”.

In the latest rebuttal by the NPP, the party insists that the assertion by the EC is inaccurate.

Below is the full statement

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 Nouth 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 erred 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.