Politics

Don’t create mistrust, heighten tension – CSO cautions EC

The African Centre for Peace Building, a civil society organisation (CSO) focusing on peace and security, has entreated the Electoral Commission (EC) to critically examine its position on the creation of new Biometric Voters’ Register ahead of the 2020 elections.

It contended that should the EC go ahead with its decision, it may create mistrust and heighten tension which are potential triggers of election-related violence since recently some political parties walked-out of an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting following the Commission’s tabling of the issue of new biometric data system for discussion.

The parties, National Democratic Congress (NDC), People’s National Convention (PNC), United Front Party (UFP, Eagle Party (EP), and the All People’s Congress (APC), disapproved of the EC’s decision not to go ahead with processes with little input from them.

The Centre, in a statement signed and issued in Accra, noted that “elections-related violence in most cases is said to be partly as result of distrust, mistrust and lack of confidence by the citizenry in national electoral bodies, Commission must ensure it maintains and sustains the trust the citizenry reposed in it.

“We appeal to EC to abort its decision on the compilation of new biometric voters’ register as insistence has possibility of creating unnecessary tension and suspicions before, during and after the 2020 elections, questioned argument for creation of new biometric register which didn’t add up for it to use register which lacked credibility to organise the called-off referendum and district assembly elections scheduled today.

“What is, however, an issue of serious national concern and casts serious doubt on credibility and validity of Commission’s defense for need for new register, has used same register in last year’s referendum in creation of the six new regions and had scheduled to use same for both the aborted December 17 referendum and district level elections which is also a nationwide exercise.

“The question that lingers on our lips and perhaps many other Ghanaians is, if current voter register is defective and lacks credibility for conduct of upcoming December 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, on what basis being used for conduct of today’s district level elections?” the Centre quizzed. -abcnewsgh.com

Show More
Back to top button