The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana is set to convene with various political parties on Monday, January 29, during its Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting to continue discussions on the proposed change of the date for the general elections.
The EC has put forward a proposal to shift the date for both Presidential and Parliamentary elections from December 7 to November 7. The rationale behind this proposal is yet to be fully disclosed, but the EC aims to engage political parties in a dialogue to gather input and address concerns.
Notably, the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed strong opposition to the proposed date change. The party argues that the adjustment doesn’t provide the EC with sufficient time to organize a flawless and incident-free poll.
Conversely, sources within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) suggest that the party’s leadership is still deliberating on the matter and has not yet reached a final decision regarding its stance on the proposed date change.
The National Democratic Congress has however, rescinded its decision to boycott meetings of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC). This decision was communicated through a statement dated Sunday, January 28, 2024, and signed by the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey.
The IPAC meetings serve as a platform for political parties to review election-related activities and policies, officially voice their grievances, and provide constructive input.
Additionally, IPAC acts as an advisory body to the Electoral Commission, fostering collaboration between the commission and political stakeholders.
The NDC’s leadership had boycotted IPAC meetings in 2021, citing concerns about the perceived lack of transparency, duplicity, and bias displayed by the Jean Mensah-led Electoral Commission during the 2020 general elections.
In their recent statement, the NDC announced the rescinding of the boycott decision after what they described as an “enhanced consensus-building process.”