Kojo Pumpuni Asante, Director of Advocacy & Policy Engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to hold a technical meeting with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other political parties to ensure transparency and confidence in its IT system ahead of the 2024 general election.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, Mr. Asante cited the illegal voter transfer issue in Pusiga, raised by the NDC, as a serious breach of the EC’s systems that requires immediate attention beyond political rhetoric.
While the EC has stated it is working to prevent unauthorized access to its IT system, Mr. Asante stressed the importance of having technical experts assess the situation to provide credible assurances that these vulnerabilities are being addressed effectively.
He believes such a step would bolster public trust in the electoral process.
“… You need technical people to sit down and have a conversation and discuss the technical issues so you can come to some genuine concerns about what needs to be done or what you have done. So, it is not something that should be taken lightly and I know the EC people are not taking it lightly.
“This is a referee who is refereeing a process that people are participating in. So, those beneficiaries should be allowed to get that assurance and that assurance should be demonstrable.
“You cannot just say I am doing it. So, you have to find a mechanism to give that assurance and I think the first step is to even have that [threats of cyber attack] conversation at the technical level,” he stated.
