The Electoral Commission (EC) has confirmed that it would not introduce new Constitutional Instruments (C.I.s) ahead of the voter registration exercise and the December general elections.
The filing fees for the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections will also remain the same as in 2020. This means presidential candidates will be required to pay a filing fee of GH¢100,000, while parliamentary candidates will pay GH¢10,000 as a filing fee.
The Commission announced this in a statement on Thursday, March 7, after an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held in Accra, and chaired by Mrs Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the EC.
The electoral body said the existing C.I.s will therefore remain in force for this year’s polls.
The existing C.I. 126, which was passed by Parliament ahead of the 2020 general election, recognises the use of the passport and the guarantor system as valid means for new registrants to prove their identity as Ghanaians.
The EC’s decision to maintain C.I. 126 also means that the guarantor system, which the Commission had intended to abolish in subsequent registration exercises, would be applicable for new registrants.
“The Commission informed the meeting that the date for the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections namely; the 7th of December remains unchanged. In that vein the election would be held on Saturday 7th December, 2024.
“Legal processes to move the General elections to November will however be commenced with the submission of a Memo to the Attorney General. The proposal to bring the election date forward to November will take place in 2028,” the statement by the Commission said.
Find the statement below
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE MEETING BETWEEN THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION AND LEADERS OF POLITICAL PARTIES UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE INTER-PARTY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (IPAC)
The Electoral Commission held a meeting to discuss its 2024 Plan with the leadership of the Political Parties under the auspices of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC). The meeting was chaired by the Chairperson of the Commission. In attendance were the Deputy Chairmen of the Commission for Operations and Corporate Services, representatives from Civil Society and Development Partners.
The following were the decisions arrived at:
1. The calendar for the 2024 Election released by the Commission was accepted by all members.
2. The Commission informed the meeting that the date for the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections namely; the 7th of December remains unchanged. In that vein the election would be held on Saturday 7th December, 2024. Legal processes to move the General elections to November will however be commenced with the submission of a Memo to the Attorney General. The proposal to bring the election date forward to November will take place in 2028.
3. The Commission would not introduce new Constitutional Instruments (C.I.s) ahead of the Voter Registration Exercise and the General Elections. The existing C.I.s will remain in force.
4. The Electoral Commission will maintain the indelible ink as the electoral stain for the marking of voters in the 2024 General Elections.
5. The Limited Voter Registration Exercise will be for a twenty-one (21) day period commencing, Tuesday 7th May to Monday 27th May, 2024. The exercise will be conducted at the District Offices of the Electoral Commission and in difficult to access Electoral Areas. Permanent centres will be set up at the District offices whiles mobile teams would be used to register eligible applicants in the difficult to access Electoral Areas. The list of registration centres will be provided to the Political Parties no later than twenty-one (21) days to the Registration exercise.
6. The filing fees for the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections will remain the same as in 2020.
The leaders of Political Parties made useful inputs into the 2024 Election Plan. The Commission indicated its willingness to implement a number of the suggestions. Political Parties at the meeting unanimously commended the Electoral Commission for the preparation of a comprehensive calendar to govern the 2024 Elections.
MICHAEL BOADU
AG. HEAD, PUBLIC AFFAIRS