EC To Disenfranchise 2.8m Eligible Voters—NDC
Opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) firmly believes that 2.8 million eligible Ghanaian voters will not have the right to be registered as voters and vote in public elections due to the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to restrict voter registration to its district offices.
The EC is currently conducting limited voter registration exercises in its 268 district offices instead of 1,500 electoral areas centres.
Speaking at a news conference in Accra, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the Chairman of NDC described the EC’s decision as “irresponsible and unconscionable.”
He said “This irresponsible and unconscionable decision of the commission confirms the NDC’s long-held view that the Jean Mensah-led EC is determined to rig the 2024 elections through voter suppression. But she will fail because we are ready for them.
Aside from its potential to suppress registration and voting, the EC’s decision to restrict voter registration to its district offices can promote and facilitate gerrymandering as agents of political parties will find it difficult to challenge persons who may be bused from one constituency to another to register.”
The Chairman of NDC said Regulation 30 of C. I 91 enjoins the EC to revise the voters’ register annually and to do so at the electoral area level.
He however said the Jean Mensah-led EC had violated the law in the last two years by not conducting any limited registration in 2021 and 2022.
This, he said created a huge backlog of about 2.8 million eligible persons including unemployed youth who are entitled to be registered.
The huge backlog according to him is the more reason why the EC’s decision to restrict voter registration to their district offices is unconscionable and preposterous.
Despite the challenges associated with the ongoing limited voter registration exercise, Mr. Nketiah said the party is ready to participate as it currently has its agents and officers in all 268 district offices of the EC.
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He said “We are keenly and actively monitoring the process and will ensure that the manipulation of the EC and ruling NPP calculated to suppress votes and rig the process are defeated. NDC shall always stand and fight for the masses.
We therefore wish to call on all NDC officials at all levels, members, sympathizers, and Ghanaians as a whole to encourage, fund, and assist all eligible persons or prospective registrants to defy the EC and participate in the ongoing registration exercise.”
Source: Adovor Nutifafa/capitalnewsonline.com
dovor100@gmail.com
