The General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong, is cautioning against parties taking entrenched positions in the ongoing debate on proposals for a new voters’ register.
He has urged all interested parties to yield to the processes outlined by the Electoral Commission and abide by the outcome of the deliberations.
[contextly_sidebar id=”e1oOuOZYhhdI1oWBcFSY5dVGngeGvM97″]“We may have differences but let’s talk and so in the dialogue; we should be able to say that yes; I had that position but if this is the majority decision, I am willing to negotiate to change my position,” he said.
The comment by Rev. Opuni Frimpong follows a two-day forum on the voters’ register.
A former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu, in an interview with Citi News maintained that the party will require that the EC acts in the interest of all Ghanaians.
“…The whole thing must be based on national interest, and nationally we have proven that the current register is bloated, tainted and corrupted…it can’t go with the current register if the people of Ghana say they do not want it, it must not dictate to Ghanaians but rather take what is on board,” he said.
But Rev. Opuni Frimpong believes the country’s interest should guide all the parties involved in the deliberations.
“That should let other people who already have taken entrenched positions also to re-examine that we will go beyond 2016 election, having a national cohesion, one Ghana, we don’t need to destroy our country whether we will do a new register or whether we will clear the old one,” he added.
The opposition NPP has reiterated its call for a new voters’ register citing the current one as bloated and flawed. It raised fresh allegations of names of some foreigners found in the register during a presentation of the two day forum by the EC.
The governing NDC has also maintained its position that the evidence provided by the NPP is problematic.
Other political parties and civil society organisations that have made submissions on the matter, include the Progressive People’s Party(PPP), the Convention People’s Party(CPP) , IMANI Ghana and the Centre for Democratic Development(CDD) among others.
–
By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citifmonline.com/Ghana