Pro-opposition pressure group, Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA), has hinted of a court action to compel the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voter’s register.
This comes days after the EC announced that arguments for a new register were unconvincing, and cannot be accepted.
[contextly_sidebar id=”MX7EgNhzPHkSFU7P5CGNo0iqDJVgzEpO”]The committee set up by the Electoral Commission to deliberate on the proposals for a new voters’ register, thus rejected arguments for a new register, describing the calls as “unconvincing.”
The Commission in a statement signed by Christian Owusu-Parry, Acting Director of Public Affairs at the EC, said it “accepts the recommendations of the panel and will progressively implement the recommendations made therein.”
David Asante, the National Coordinator of pressure group which has been pushing for a new register, told Citi News they will now resort to the courts since the EC has rejected their arguments.
“We believe that where we are now, the decision of the EC is an affront to our democracy. It sets us back and it is purely a retrogressive decision which will not help the forward movement of our democracy. This is the reason why the firm action the Let My Vote Count Alliance is going to embark on is that, we are going to challenge it in court, and ask the court to ask the EC to set aside the electoral rule. Subsequently, there would be a lot of street agitations to compel the EC to do what is right. We can’t take things for granted” he noted.
According to the Commission:
- The Panel finds the arguments for a new register unconvincing and therefore does not recommend the replacement of the current voters’ register;
- The Panel is of the view that the responsibility for having a clean and credible register is the shared responsibility of all citizens of Ghana;
- The Electoral Commission accepts the recommendations of the Panel and will progressively implement the recommendations made therein;
- The Electoral Commission will continue to engage stakeholders to ensure that a clean and credible voters’ register is in place for the 2016 general elections through an inclusive and collaborative audit process;
- The Commission will publish the full report of the Panel on its website- www.ec.gov.gh by 7th January 2016 for the benefit of the public.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the pro-opposition pressure group Let My Vote Count Alliance, had argued that the current register is flawed with names of foreigners and minors.
Meanwhile, a former National Youth Organizer of the People’s National Convention (PNC) Abu Ramadan, has filed a suit at the Supreme Court demanding that the 2012 voters’ register be declared null and void.
He argues that the Supreme Court’s ruling that the National Health Insurance card was an illegal form of identification for eligible voters, is the basis for his new demand.
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By: Sammi Wiafe/citifmonline.com/Ghana