Jean Mensa, EC Boss
THE ELECTORAL Commission (EC) has appealed to the various political parties to refrain from physically obstructing people from registering in the Limited Voters’ Registration Exercise
According to the EC, most of the violence that have characterized the registration exercise have resulted from agents, members and supporters of the parties, failing to follow the rules on registering grievances.
The Limited Voters’ Registration exercise started Monday, June 17 to Sunday, and will last till July 7, 2019, following the dismissal of the injunction sought by Umar Ayuba.
In the Ashanti Region, there was bloody clash between at Asawase Constituency agents of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), forcing officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) to suspend the ongoing Limited Voter Registration exercise in the area.
The NDC MP for Asawase, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has been accused of slapping an activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who was preventing him from registering a minor.
The supposed victim, Zeinab Jibril reportedly pulled a veil of a lady the MP had brought to the registration centre on suspicion she may be a minor.
Mr. Muntaka was said to have subjected her to severe beatings and an attempt by supporters of the NPP to rescue her, marred the registration process at the polling station
Also, the police and military personnel were deployed to the Asokore Mampong Municipal Office of the EC to maintain order following confusion over the alleged registration of minors.
Spokesperson for the Electoral Commission, Sylvia Annoh, told DGN Online that, so far, the Commission has registered “pockets” of violence across the centres where the exercise is taking place.
She said the Commission for the first time brought in police to help maintain law and order after it reviewed that violence could be recorded at some of the centres.
The Spokesperson said the clashes recorded so far were not as a result of failure on the part of the EC but the refusal of the parties to follow laid down rules.
According to her, everything on the part of the EC was under control, saying “we have backup machines at zonal offices.”
No Discrimination
She assured the public on behalf of the EC that there would be no discrimination against any political party in the registration exercise.
“The EC is not discriminating against any party,” according to her.
Arrests
Meanwhile, she disclosed that some persons have been arrested for double registration.
She stated that some of those arrested had tried to do their double registration via the internet, not knowing that it was easy for the Commission to detect double registration done online.
According to her, the names of those who have done double registrations would be released.
Double registration is a punishable offence which DGN Online understands could make a person to be presented from registering for about five years.
BY Melvin Tarlue