Consider concerns of PWDs and expand voter registration exercise – NDC Disability desk petitions EC

The disability desk of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC) to rescind its decision to embark on the upcoming voter registration exercise in its 268 district offices and spread the registration centres across in order to deal with the challenges this might pose to Persons with Disabilities (PWD).

The petition comes on the back of the NDC disability desk’s broad consultation with Persons with Disabilities across all 16 regions of the country on the upcoming Voter registration exercise.

The NDC disability desk also wants the electioneering body to reevaluate its plans to embark on the upcoming voter registration exercise in its 268 district offices by considering the concerns of People with Disabilities.

“The blind, deaf, albinos, physically challenged noted with grave concern that the number of centres earmarked for the exercise are limited and suppress their registration,” the NDC disability desk noted in its petition to the Electoral Commissioner.

It observed that: “Most of the concerns of Persons with Disabilities are related to the distances they have to cover in order to register at the designated district offices.

It further observed that: “Many persons with disabilities are already embattled with the acquisition of the Ghana Cards and will have to find the means to transport two guarantors over long distances to these district offices from their places of residences. In the special case of deaf, an interpreter is required for meaningful communication to take place during registration. Coupled with the likelihood of also travelling with two guarantors, the costs of a round-trip for such persons promise to be prohibitive” among others.

The NDC disability desk is, therefore, suggesting that the exercise be undertaken in the existing 6,272 electoral areas instead.

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