EC Forum: Spare committee of criticisms for now – Lecturer

A Political scientist at the University of Ghana, Dr. Seidu Alidu, has asked Ghanaians to spare the five member committee on voters’ register of any criticisms until it formally begins its public hearing.

At the back of criticism that some members of the committee are affiliated to the National Democratic Congress, Dr. Alidu said it is early days yet for people to begin passing judgment on the panel when it has not even started its work.

The New Patriotic Party believes three of the five member panel named by the EC to supervise the public hearing are compromised and has urged its members to boycott the work of the Committee set up by the EC.

Its Director of Elections and Research, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah claim the chair of the panel, Justice VCRAC Crabbe and former moderator of the Methodist Church, Rev Prof Emmanuel Asante have openly stated their opposition to calls for a new voters' register.

A third panel member, Dr Nii Narku Quainoo, the NPP claims is an open member of the NDC and cannot sit on an independent panel to collate views on the voters' register which the party claims has been infiltrated by foreigners.

But speaking to TV3, Dr. Alidu urged Ghanaians to exercise caution and wait to see the merit of their work, the methods they use and the recommendations they make to the EC before making any criticism

"The way they address issues being impartial, being judged, being receptive, being responsive to the needs of the people that they are supposed to serve can win them a lot of acceptability even if people perceive them to be politically biased," Dr. Alidu said.

Dr. Alidu also expressed concern about the two days given to the Committee to conduct its work saying he wished it could be extended. "I think this is a vexed issue to be assigned two days to it

Another political scientist, Dr. Ransford Gyampo, also asked Ghanaians to come past the voter register issue, pointing out that there are more pressing electoral reforms that needed to be looked at.

"The call for a revision or maintenance of the current state of the voters register was not even part of the proposal submitted for electoral reform. So if this wasn't part of the proposal and yet it is taking centre-stage, and it is dragging and it looks as if we don't have time. All the rest of the other equally important proposals would have to be implemented before we get into 2016 elections," he noted.