Kojo Pumpuni Asante, Director of Advocacy & Policy Engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to convene a technical meeting with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other political parties to enhance transparency and confidence in its IT system ahead of the 2024 general election.
During an appearance on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, Mr. Asante referenced the NDC’s concerns about illegal voter transfers in Pusiga, calling it a significant breach of the EC’s systems that demands immediate action beyond political discourse.
Although the EC has stated efforts are underway to prevent unauthorized access to its IT system, Mr. Asante emphasized the need for technical experts to assess the situation and offer credible assurances that the vulnerabilities are being properly addressed. He believes this would help strengthen 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.
