"Although it is not disputed that the pink sheet was the basic document for the elections it cannot, however, be said to be conclusive. It is important to note that an election is not an event, but a process and that the pink sheet derived its source from the Biometric Voters Register. It should therefore be the reference point for a discussion of any issue under this category. I am fortified in this view by the fact that all the political parties were given copies of the voters register which the various polling agents of the major political parties carried to the polling stations on the days the elections were held. These pieces of evidence were not challenged. Indeed it is common knowledge that the polling agents who were at the polling stations checked the names of persons who were verified and issued with the ballots. Having regard to their role as watchdogs to check impersonation, multiple voting and certification of the results (they had the right to protest by refusing to sign the pink sheet) as provided for under C. I. 75 Regulation 19 (3) coupled with the voting procedures, publicly sorting and counting etc; it would not be safe to rely solely on the entries on the face of the pink to establish the incidence of over-voting. Should any dispute arise as to whether persons who cast the ballot did exceed the number on the voters register, disregarding the register, the genesis of the pink itself will result in an error". V. AKOTO-BAMFO JSC
Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:09:17 +0000
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