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Statement by the
Electoral Commission on the commencement of
a continuous registration of Voters
The New Patriotic Party has
noted, with great concern, the Statement by
the Electoral Commission on the commencement
of a continuous registration of Voters at
its District Offices. The Statement lists
the following documents as evidence of
identification:
a) a Ghanaian Passport
b) a Driver’s Licence
c) National Identification Card, and
d) An old Voter ID Card
Regrettably, the Commission did not deem it
fit to consult other Stakeholders on the
intended exercise. Despite calls for an IPAC
Meeting, this has not taken place and the
Commission has just sprung the exercise on
Ghanaians, without prior notice.
Rather sad to relate, Modalities for the
exercise have also not been laid out.
Details of how one can challenge ineligible
registrants and raise objections to names
put on the register have not been spelt out.
Furthermore, how Political Parties can
monitor the exercise and certify details of
the registration have not been determined.
In coming out with the announcement, it is
obvious that the Commission did not take
distances to its District Offices into
consideration. In many cases, potential
registrants will have to travel over long
distances to get to the EC District Office.
This, surely, will serve as a disincentive
to potential registrants.
Regulation 1.(1) of the Public Elections
Regulation 2012 (C.I. 72) states that a
Person is entitled to have his/her name
included in the register of Voters of an
Electoral Area if that person is:
a) a citizen of Ghana;
b) 18 years old and above;
c) of a sound mind;
d) resident or ordinarily resident in an
Electoral Area;
e) not prohibited by any law in force from
registering as a voter.
Registration must, therefore, be done on
Electoral Area basis. That way, potential
voters will find it easier to register while
it would also be easier to determine the
number of persons registered in every
electoral area.
It cannot be understood why the Commission
continues to act against the laws governing
its conduct of electoral affairs.
Under Regulation 2 (3) of C.I. 72, “the
Commission shall, at least 14 days before
the first day of the national registration
of voters, inform Political Parties and the
general public by publication in the
Gazette, Radio, Television, or any other
medium of mass communication, of a place it
designates as a registration centre.” The
Commission has not done this.
Regulation 8 (1) of C.I. 72 states that “the
Commission shall make available to the
interested persons or parties at the
District Office, the names of persons it
proposes to appoint as Registration
Supervisors, Registration Officers and
Registration Assistants for the Centres, not
later than 14 days before they are
appointed.” The Commission has also not
taken the appropriate steps under this
Regulation.
Under Regulation 10 (3) of C.I. 72, “the
names of Agents of Registered Political
Parties shall be communicated to the
Commission not later than 7 days before the
start of the registration.” Political
Parties have not submitted names of Agents
because the Commission has kept everybody in
the dark and is determined to do things its
own way, regardless of what the Regulations
spell out.
Sight must also not be lost on the various
calls on the Commission to open a new Voters
Register to replace the over-bloated and
unreliable Register that is currently in
place. Conducting the intended registration
and, later on, creating a new Register will
result in a complete waste of scarce
financial resources.
The Commission need not be reminded that it
has a duty to work in the best interest of
ALL GHANAIANS and must avoid doing things
that might create unnecessary tension in the
country. It is obvious that the Commission
is refusing to learn from its mistakes and
wants to continue acting against the law. A
clear example is the cancellation of the
District Level Elections, as ordered by the
Court, following its disregard of the law.
In the circumstances, the New Patriotic
Party calls on the Electoral Commission to
suspend the intended exercise and properly
plan any new registration in consultation
with its Stakeholders. To that end, we call
on the Commission to convene an IPAC
Meeting, without delay.
…Signed…
KWABENA AGYEI AGYEPONG
GENERAL SECRETARY
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