The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has submitted its proposal on the voters’ register to the Electoral Commission. The PPP made the submission on Thursday, 10th September, 2015 ahead of the September 22 deadline given by the EC.
The party’s main contention is for the EC to compile any future voters’ register using the National Identification Authority (NIA) Database.
The party believes that is the surest way to prevent foreigners and minors Ghanaians from getting onto the register.
[contextly_sidebar id=”jAyDwFK5oMwvM8Wh2aCtT2ImCqwcQ27r”]A statement released by the PPP on its submission also noteed that, “The NIA is the only body mandated to identify and create a database of citizens for the purposes of economic, social and political activities in Ghana,
“The EC cannot, therefore side step the NIA as a credible source of who is qualified to vote in our elections,” it added.
Meanwhile the PPP has repeated its call for a complete electronic voting process as part of a comprehensive electoral reform.
According to the party, cheating, results manipulation, legal funding of party activities and the full enforcement of the Political Parties’ Law are issues that need to be addressed.
The statement added, “we have confidence in the new chairperson of the EC to undertake immediate electoral reforms that will guarantee Ghanaians a credible electoral process that eliminates cheating and abuse of incumbency in our political space,”
The PPP says it expects the 2016 elections to be truly transparent, free and fair. It has also recommend that the EC begins the process immediately to implement the outlined recommendations for electoral reforms to guarantee credible electoral processes and results that will safeguard the unity and cohesion of mother Ghana before, during and after the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The Electoral Commission has given all political parties September 22 to submit their respective positions on a new voters’ register prior to the 2016 general elections.
This followed a petition by the opposition NPP to the EC that the current electoral register is bloated and lacks credibility.
The party has also indicated that about 80,000 Togolese have been registered as voters in Ghana.
By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citifmonline.com/Ghana