The Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan has told the Supreme Court serial numbers imprinted on pink sheets are irrelevant to the declaration of election results.
“Serial number, the number printed on the pink sheet, has absolutely no relevance to the compilation and declaration of results,” he said.
The petitioners are challenging duplicated serial numbers as one of the key issues that contributed to the irregularities in the December 2012 elections.
According to him, “if two polling stations have the same number that will in no way affect [the results] of the two pink sheets. … It will not have any affect whatsoever on the validity of the votes cast.”
According to Dr. Afari Gyan the duplication is irrelevant to the outcome of the results.
“I do not see the basis for the allegations surrounding the serial numbers. I see no basis at all” he said.
Meanwhile Dr. Afari Gyan gave different explanations of what constitutes over-voting, which is also one of the key claims of the petitioners.
According to him, “if you have this figure appearing three times in C1, C3 and the total vote, it means either all the persons were verified or none of them were verified.”
He opined that “he is “not too clear of what will be an over vote.”
“At this time I cannot say anything, I think it is something that is subject to further clarification” he said.
He emphasized that “although two new definitions have been introduced, I must admit that I have problems with these definitions that have been proposed. Because they limit themselves to what is exclusive on the face of the ballot sheet.”
He stressed that the definition by the petitioners, is limited to what is exclusively on the face of the ballot sheet.
