During the commencement of the fourth session of the eighth Parliament, Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson strongly criticized the Electoral Commission (EC) for deciding to abandon the use of indelible ink in the upcoming elections. Dr. Ato Forson expressed serious concerns about the potential risks associated with this decision, warning that it could lead to chaos at polling stations nationwide. He called for an immediate reversal of the decision.

Addressing Parliament, Dr. Ato Forson emphasized that National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs would vehemently oppose the EC’s move. He argued that indelible ink plays a crucial role in ensuring the integrity of elections by providing a visible and transparent means of verifying voters, in addition to biometric verification.

The former Deputy Finance Minister highlighted the long-standing recognition of indelible ink as a reliable method to prevent multiple voting, clearly marking individuals who have already cast their ballots. Dr. Ato Forson stressed the importance of upholding established electoral practices to safeguard the credibility and fairness of the electoral process.

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“The EC claims that doing away with indelible ink in Ghana’s electoral process forms part of its measures to improve the electoral process and ensure a robust identification system.”

“The truth of the matter is that the use of indelible ink in our electoral process does no harm to the conduct of free and fair elections in Ghana.”

“In fact, indelible ink adds another layer to the integrity of elections by ensuring that voters are visibly, transparently, and physically verified in addition to biometric verification.”

In addition to his criticism of the EC’s decision on indelible ink, Dr. Ato Forson issued a firm warning against any proposal to alter the scheduled date for the 2024 elections. He asserted that there are more urgent matters demanding the EC’s immediate attention and urged a focus on essential issues rather than what he deemed “unnecessary” considerations. The Minority Leader suggested that their stance might be reconsidered if the EC implements substantial reforms post the 2024 elections.