Parties with no representation in Parliament addressing the press
The Electoral Commission (EC) has been urged to reconsider its decision to limit voter registration centres for the forthcoming exercise from 1,500 centres to 268, including the newly created districts.
At a press conference in Accra, the parties with no representation in Parliament asserted that the EC’s decision to commence voter registration exercises from September 12 to October 2, 2023 will disenfranchise the many Ghanaians who seek to partake in political elections as a result of its limited centres.
The political groups added that following EC’s decision to limit its registration centres, it met with various political parties, civil society organisations, and other international bodies at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting to deliberate on matters concerning voter registration.
The spokesperson for the group, General Secretary for the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Citizen Ato Dadzie, lamented the EC’s disregard for IPAC members, indicating that members at the IPAC meeting appealed to the EC to reconsider its decision on the limited registration centres.
“During the IPAC meeting, we asked the Commission why the same EC that gazetted 1,500 registration centres during the limited registration exercise in 2019 now want to only use 268 registration centres for this exercise, bearing in mind that there hasn’t been any registration exercise after the 2020 elections,” he fumed.
Citizen Ato Dadzie further pointed out concerns raised by some eligible registrants on the distance to the district centres.
He indicated that the inconveniences created during the registration exercise will likely breed ‘goro boys’ who will capitalise on the situation using the guarantor system as a business since people might not be able to travel long distances to guarantee for registrants.
Citizen Ato, who created a scenario with EC’s limited registration said, “An 18-year-old eligible registrant travelling all the way from Dago and other far communities within the Akuapem South Constituency to Aburi, which is the district capital, will be an inconvenience and hamper the success of the exercise.”
The group has, therefore, called on the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa, to rescind its decision and make the process more accessible and painless.
“This will reflect the EC’s commitment to building a solid and credible institution to protect Ghana’s strong and enviable record as a beacon of democracy. This will continue to be worthy of emulation on all continents,” they stated.
Voter Registration Set
The Electoral Commission earlier announced it will open the voters register for the registration of new voters ahead of the District Level Elections from Tuesday, September 12 to Monday, October 2, 2023.
According to the commission, the new registration exercise would allow Ghanaians who have reached the voting age of 18 years since the last registration in 2020, as well as others who are older but were unable to register during the 2020 registration for various reasons, to do so.
The Electoral Commission is hoping to register 1,350,000 new voters by the close of the registration exercise this year.
It also indicated that the exercise will be held between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm each day, including Saturdays and Sundays, adding that the registration exercise will take place in all the 268 District Offices of the Commission, including the Guan District.
By Prince FiifiYorke