The Electoral Commission missed its August 15 deadline to award the contract for the electronic transmission of results for the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
Two companies are competing for the multi-million dollar contract, Scytl of Spain and Smartmatic of the Netherlands.
The reason for the delay, according to our sources close to the award panel, is a “big fight” between two domineering characters (names withheld) at the EC who are determined to give the contract to the Spanish company despite serious question marks about its track record and its ability to deliver without any issues about the integrity of the results
16 companies expressed interest for the contract, but in the end only the two came through. The EC also modified the contract significantly. Initially, they were to transmit the results electronically from all 29,000 polling stations to the constituency collation centre.
This was met with fierce resistance from the New Patriotic Party, in particular, and other opposition voices, since the EC would have gone beyond the agreed formula had that happened.
Eventually, the demonstrations by the two companies of their respective solutions were limited to e-transmission of the collated results from the constituency level.
Also, they will be expected to scan and transmit all 29,000 results sheets (pink sheets) but from the 275 Constituency Collation Centres instead of the 29,000 polling stations.
The deadlock in awarding the contract is causing a lot of discomfort within the EC, as the staff there already believe that the Commission is running against time to deliver efficiently in 114 days time.
Scytl has a chequered history in electronic voting and results transmission. Last year, Uganda was forced to cancel a contract with Scytl over a similar issue on capacity to deliver.
Before that, in Ecuador, Scytl was awarded a multimillion contract in 2013 for the vote processing, automated tally and publication of electoral results for the country’s sectional elections, which took place on February 23rd 2014.
It was not until eight days after Election Day that Scytl admitted there were problems in the system and delays in the processing of the electoral records. It took 2 weeks for the final tally to be announced. Scytl was forced to apologize and the contract cancelled.
Also in Canada two years ago, officials in the towns of Leamington and Kingsville were compelled to withhold payment to Scytl after it conducted another botched Internet voting. Results came in hours later than expected, causing great embarrassment.
“I’m very disappointed,” said Leamington clerk Brian Sweet, who bore the brunt of complaints in his municipality about how long it took to release voting results in the October 2014 elections.
“What was frustrating for us was we were not getting results and we weren’t getting any information or time estimates either,” Sweet said. “We didn’t understand what the problem was.”
As Ghana enters another crucial elections in four months time, observers are nervous about any hitch that could mar the integrity of the results. Tensions are high as the NDC comes to the end of its second term and the President goes for his second term.
NPP has vowed not to return to court, after the 2012 disputed contest ended up at the Supreme Court for an 8-month trial that ended in a 5-4 majority decision in favour of the incumbent President, John Dramani Mahama.
It is Nana Akufo-Addo’s third attempt. The NPP and other opposition parties are already unhappy with the integrity of the electoral roll. But, are confident of victory and determined to fight any hint of malpractice.
The situation is so sensitive that the introduction of a new technology, like e-transmission, must be seen to be beyond doubt.
So far there is no indication when the gridlock over the award of the contract will end. But, there is optimism that the EC will finally award the contract tomorrow.
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