The Electoral Commission (EC) has given assurance that the new voters’ register will be ready before December for a successful December Seven Election.
According to the Commission, despite its tight schedule coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic, it is on course to deliver a credible election in December.
Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, gave the assurance on GBC’s Current Affairs Programme, “Focus”, which discussed the up-coming voter registration in the wake of Covid-19.
Dr. Quaicoe said the resolve to compile a new register is as a result of migration challenges from the old register to the new system, where it is likely to lose a lot of data, hence the need to compile a new register.
The Director of Training at the EC, Michael Boadu, indicated prospective applicants who visit the registration centers without face masks will be turned away. He explained that all applicants are required to strictly observe the health protocols.
Mr. Boadu said adequate publicity will be carried out to ensure Ghanaians are actively involved in the process.
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of the Mass Action Committee, Atik Mohammed, has called on Ghanaians to register during the forthcoming compilation of a new voters’ register, when the exercise begins.
He said the exercise is the only way to ensure citizens are able to vote in the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Mr. Mohammed who is a former General Secretary of the PNC made the call at a news briefing in Accra, where he entreated Ghanaians to participate fully in the exercise.
He also called on the security agencies to ensure that all citizens are protected during the voter registration.
Mr. Atik urged political stakeholders to play their roles effectively, lawfully, and peacefully and ensure that ineligible persons do not find their names on the register.
He spoke against allegations suggesting the use of violence to either disrupt the registration or harm officials of the EC. He denounced such utterances, and says it is not only unpatriotic but also calculated attempts to reverse the progress made on Ghana’s democratic clock.
