The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, is leading calls for electoral reforms to dissolve the regional collating centres for the presidential election.

The Constitutional Instrument 126 that governed the 2020 elections designated regional centres to collate the presidential results for onward transmission to the national centre.

But the Tamale South MP says the arrangement has encouraged violence, unfairness and non-transparency.

Under the election regulation, collation for the presidential election is to be done at the regional centres before transmitting to the National Collation Centre.

The regulation also designates the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) as the returning officer for the presidential polls.

In a paper to the EC, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) recommended ways to reform the electoral process.

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, says events surrounding the disturbances recorded in parts of the country, especially Techiman, during the collation and declaration of the results in the last election must be a wake-up call for immediate reforms.

“The NDC as a party is determined to secure and ensure that the sovereign will of the Ghanaian voter is not compromised as we witnessed in the 2020 elections, especially Techiman. Therefore, we are pushing for greater reforms that deepen transparency and allow for more openness, especially in the collation of results.

“We will, therefore, not accept any regional collation of results. For purposes of the conduct of the election, this country is demarcated under Article 45, 46 and 47 of the constitution into electoral boundaries and constituencies and therefore, collation of results must reflect the polling station and constituency results not regions,” he indicated.

The electoral commission has already served notice it will subject the NDCs proposal for deliberation at the Interparty Advisory committee meeting.

Haruna Iddrisu said the talk must start now to ensure there is no cause for worry and suspicion in the 2024 elections.

“We are of the view that there would be zero tolerance for cheating and abuses at collation centres and underhand dealing that seeks to compromise the will of the voter and, therefore, going forward, we will not accept any regional results,” he indicated.