Politics

‘COVID-19 patients will partake in voters’ registration exercise scheduled for June’

The Electoral Commission (EC) has disclosed that Ghanaians who have contracted the coronavirus (COVID-19) will be allowed to partake in the end of June voters’ registration exercise.

It explained that every Ghanaian of the voting age was entitled to register and the Commission won’t discriminate against anyone.

The Head of Public Affairs at the EC, Sylvia Annor, stated that patients would not be left out and the EC was yet to decide on how and when it would be done saying “the constitution gives everybody right to vote and the commission will make necessary arrangement for patients to register and we can’t deprive anybody of registering, they will register, but how and when will be put out later.”

She said despite opposition to compilation of new voters’ register by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), EC maintained it would go ahead with the exercise.

The EC is expected to meet with political parties at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) level on controversial new voters’ registration exercise scheduled for end of June.

The meeting which will be held on May 27, 2020 is expected to provide stakeholders with an opportunity for frank discussions on the issue and the commission had assured that it would consult stakeholders on its plans for compilation of new voters’ registration exercise.

It will be used for the December 7 presidential and parliamentary polls and to ensure the public observe precautionary measures and hygienic protocols, the commission as part of its sensitisation and education shared a poster on its social media handles.

The meeting will be held in two groups of 12 political parties each, with development partners, civil society groups and relevant state institutions in attendance, published precautionary measures it has put in place ahead of the exercise which included mandatory wearing of face masks at registration centres, electorate’s temperature will be checked before they are allowed into registration centre and there will be running water available for hand washing.

Queues are to have one-metre gaps between persons lining up to register, scanners will be sanitised and those who complete registration processes will also be provided with hand sanitiser before they leave the centre, registration will be conducted on cluster basis at 33,367 registration centres nationwide and envisaged to be completed between 30 and 40 days in four phases in collaboration with health officials. -pulse.com.gh/citinewsroom.com/GNA

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