Jean Mensa
The Electoral Commission (EC) has lashed out at the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for its persistent calls for an independent forensic audit of the voters register. According to the EC, the NDC’s demands are “misguided” and “premature”, and that the commission is capable of delivering a credible electoral roll for the 2024 general election.
At a press conference in Accra Thursday, the Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Operations, Samuel Tettey, expressed the commission’s disappointment with the NDC’s stance on the issue.
“We urge them to submit details of the discrepancies they have identified to enable the commission to investigate the issues and demonstrate to them that their concerns have been resolved,” Mr. Tettey said.
The EC’s response comes after the NDC served notice that it would embark on nationwide demonstrations to pressurize the commission to yield to their request for a forensic audit.
The opposition party has been critical of the quality of the voters register, and has accused the EC of failing to address their concerns.
However, the EC maintains that it has been transparent and open in its dealings with the NDC, and that the commission has taken steps to address the discrepancies identified by the party.
“The commission would like to assure the general public and all stakeholders that all identified discrepancies about the provisional voters register are being corrected,” Mr. Tettey said.
The EC’s Deputy Chairman also questioned the purpose of the proposed forensic audit, saying that it would add no value to the well-defined tried and tested process documented for the cleaning and strengthening of the provisional voters register.
“The question is, should the forensic audit be conducted, who will fix the discrepancies in the register?” he asked.
The controversy over the voters register has been ongoing for several weeks, with the NDC accusing the EC of failing to address their concerns.
However, the EC maintains that it has been working to ensure the credibility and integrity of the register, and that the commission is committed to delivering a free and fair election.
In 2020, the EC faced similar challenges with the voters register, but the commission was able to address the issues and deliver a credible election.
The EC is confident that it can do the same in 2024, and has called on the NDC to trust the commission to deliver a credible electoral roll.
-BY Daniel Bampoe