President Akufo-Addo has congratulated the Electoral Commission (EC) for the successful compilation of a voters’ register ahead of the conduct of the 2020 general elections in December.
In his update on Ghana’s enhanced response to Covid-19 pandemic, President Akufo-Addo described the registration exercise as “safe and transparent”.
“On behalf of the people of Ghana, I congratulate warmly the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Jean Mensa, her two Deputies, Dr Eric Bossman and Mr Samuel Tettey, and the entire Commission for the efficient, safe, transparent nature of the registration exercise, where, for the first time in our nation’s history, Ghanaians were provided with daily updates of the number of eligible voters registered, together with specific age, gender, regional breakdowns, and breakdowns of identity,” he said on Sunday, August 16.
“Of course, there were genuine and understandable concerns about conducting such a complex exercise, involving millions of citizens, at this time. But, at the end of the day, Ghanaians did their civic duty, by going out to register, having found that the process was overwhelmingly orderly, peaceful and safe.”
President Akufo-Addo also said those who opposed the compilation of the new register ended up registering.
“There were those who expressed various degrees of hysteria and negativity towards the exercise with some who swore heaven and earth to resist the compilation of the register at the peril of their lives, ending up registering.”
“There were those who claimed that, in the midst of a pandemic, the registration exercise should not be conducted, with some warning of an “explosion” in our case count and very high numbers of deaths, should the exercise go ahead. By the grace of God, the work of the Electoral Commission, and the effective measures put in place by Government, these prophecies of doom did not materialise.”
He, however, condemned the violent acts which marred the process at some registration centres in the country.
“There were, nonetheless, deeply regrettable, isolated incidents of violence, which I condemn unreservedly, and which I expect the Police to deal with without fear or favour, but the exercise was generally peaceful.”
