The Electoral Commission (EC) has moved to tackle the social distancing breaches observed at some voters’ registration centres across the country when the exercise commenced on Tuesday.
The commission, according to its update on the ongoing exercise, has engaged the security agencies with a view to addressing the social distancing breaches without any further delay.
As a result of the massive turnout recorded at most registration centres at the commencement of the exercise, thereby occasioning incidents of overcrowding, the anomaly was considered the only shortcoming in the largely successful project.
Sylvia Annoh, Ag. Director, Public Affairs of the EC, in a statement, pointed out that “the commission is aware that some centres recorded high numbers leading to some overcrowding. We are taking steps to work with the security agencies to address possible overcrowding at our registration centres.”
The commission had asked the public to disregard a photograph purported to be a scene of a registration centre. The image, it added, does not show the usual traits of a registration centre, the statement went on, adding that “it just shows a large crowd gathered together in an area.”
With the originator not indicating where the registration centre was taken, the EC can only ask that it be disregarded, the motive being mischievous.
With the success being chalked up by the EC so far, many killjoys will be active at this time with all manner of incredible and illogical stories.
Pointing at one of such spots, the EC stated “our attention has also been drawn to an audio circulating on social media to the effect that guarantors who guarantee for up to ten (10) people will be disenfranchised.” This is something the commission described as untrue.
Referring to the C.I. 126 which, as it were, clearly states that guarantors can guarantee for up to 10 people, the commission stressed that “they will not be disenfranchised.”
The EC added though that “any individual who guarantees for more than ten (10) persons will be picked up by our system and prosecuted.”
The commission has posted a positive outcome of the exercise so far on the first day, assuring though that the identified teething challenges will all be addressed.
All too soon, the antagonism against the exercise by a few Ghanaian politicians has given way to an ‘over-subscription’ of the process.
Those who promised to thwart the efforts of the EC are now busy encouraging their people to go and register.
All who are eligible to be registered will be allowed to do so; therefore, there is no need for people to create scenes of congestion at registration centres because the EC will ensure that nobody is disenfranchised.
It has now become clear that the refrain of a deliberate project to disenfranchise some Ghanaians was part of a crude propaganda project by the opposition NDC.
By A.R. Gomda