Politics

IMANI: EC’s reason for new voters’ register lacks certainty

Imani Africa has described the Electoral Commission’s (EC) ‘s reasons for a new electoral roll as lacking certainty due to the disorderly nature in which it is presenting its case.

It said the machines were at their end of life, seven-year life cycle, conducting a limited registration will be much higher than the full registration, it wasn’t true that the limited registration would cost $80 million, argument for a new voters’ register as disorderly, unfortunate and the nature of the arguments being advanced by the EC for a new register was worrying.

The think tank noted that the EC’s argument that with last district elections, out of 5.4 million people who voted, 35,000 were manually verified was 0.64 per cent which meant  99.63 per cent of district elections were credible with same machines were efficient in 2016 and in 2012, was 67 per cent which indicated that there has been some improvement.

President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, lamented that the decision of EC to only come up with new reasons for their decision to compile a new electoral roll only when their existing excuses had been defeated was unfortunate, all their reasons do not hold water and the commission never said the register was bloated until excuses were defeated.

The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) and IMANI Africa have also petitioned the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to call on the EC to rescind its decision to compile a new electoral roll for the 2020 general election however, EC is bent on compiling a new voters’ register despite opposition from some political parties and civil society organisations over claims existing one was not credible enough for 2020 polls.

Jean Mensah, the Chairperson of EC, addressing a forum in Accra organised by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Ghana pointed out that the compilation of a new voters’ register was motivated by commission’s desire to ensure a credible, free, fair and transparent general election.

She intimated that bloat in register could have dire consequences for any election, as a people, no room should be left for manipulation at polling stations hence essence of biometric register, under current situation any manipulation could change outcome of an election that informed decision to compile a new voters’ register. -citinewsroom.com

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