Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia’s jibe at the NDC that “they don’t read” could not have been put in a better context than a few days ago when the Director of Electoral Services of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, rubbished their claim that a fresh voters’ register is in the offing.
That the opposition NDC always gets its points wrong is not far-fetched. Their project of muddying the waters and especially giving the EC a bad name so they can hang it is certainly not inuring to their interest.
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, started it all when he referred to a certain so-called political agenda on the part of the EC which, as he said, was planning to roll out a new voters register.
We had cause to editorialise on the subject but following the formal denial of the claim by the Minority Leader by the top EC person, we can only return to the subject better informed than we even before.
A continuous register of persons who meet the requirement by virtue of age or even presence within the geographical space of the country can pass for one of the best things to happen in the electoral history of the country.
The chaos, scheming and sometimes bloodshed associated with the registration process, not forgetting the cost, makes the continuous option the most efficient.
Electoral processes are not static. Over the years, novelties are introduced to enhance the integrity of the process. The EC, given the wonderful manpower at its disposal, would have failed in its assignment were it to avoid novelties.
We are glad though, that the EC has, over the years, mastered the art of dealing with the NDC gang which shuns the IPAC meetings, where critical decisions are taken only to turn round to cry foul.
Even if they decide against partaking in meetings of the IPAC, won’t they read the outcomes of such sittings? They won’t read.
Ghana’s interests outweigh the NDC’s or any of the political parties. Decisions which will inure to the interest of the electoral process should be supported to succeed the rough tactics of the NDC, notwithstanding.
When the NDC campaigns against a project, it turns out that they are only protecting the parochial interest of their cause, not the country’s.
The new CI, which will enable every Ghanaian coming of age to just walk in and register to vote using the Ghana Card, the citizenship document which the NDC loves to hate, the reason for which hatred is not difficult to discern.
The NDC prefers to rubbish the Ghana Card as proof of citizenship preferring the guarantor approach because of the inherent loopholes. With our porous borders, they can easily encourage Togolese to come in their numbers to be attested as citizens and therefore eligible to vote. It is a practice they have perfected over the years. Blimey! That chapter is closed forever.