EC’s proposal to move general election date to November will not take effect this year – Bossman

The Electoral Commission (EC) has indicated that its proposal to shift the date for general elections from December 7 to November might not be implemented this year.

According to the Deputy EC Chairman in charge of Corporate Services, Eric Asare Bossman, the necessary legislation required for this change to be put into effect will soon be presented before Parliament.

He made these remarks during an interview on JoyNews, highlighting the Commission’s plans to initiate the process in the coming months.

In January, the EC put forward the proposal to move the election date, along with suggestions to designate election days as national holidays.

These proposals were discussed during the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on Monday, January 22, 2024.

Advocating for an earlier election month, the Commission underscored that declaring election days as national holidays could enhance civic engagement and foster a stronger democratic culture.

However, opposition to this idea arose from various quarters, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), arguing that it contradicts the consensus reached to implement major electoral reforms from November 2028.

Dr. Asare Bossman clarified the matter during the launch of JoyNews’ 2024 Election coverage, stating, “That was agreed with the political parties that in the event we cannot marshal the forces of IPAC to have it in November in 2020, the commission should take steps to ensure that in 2028, we are going to have it in November.”

He further explained that the new date would be a selected day in November, dispelling speculations about it being specifically on November 7.

“This must be clear; we were not talking about November 7,” he emphasized. “At the IPAC meeting, the decision was a day in November. So it can be the first Monday, a second Monday, a third Monday or Tuesday or Friday, or Thursday.”