EC condemns violence at some registration centres

The Electoral Commission has expressed concern about pockets of violence being perpetrated by some political party supporters at some registration centres.

A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency said the acts, which was in the form of physical and verbal attacks on its Officials were obstructing the registration process.

It cited the incidence at the Step to Christ Voters Registration Centre in the Awutu Senya East constituency in the Central Region where unidentifiable gunmen attacked Officials at the Centre and disrupted the process by firing gunshots.

The statement condemned such acts during a civil exercise such as the Registration of Voters and calls on the security agencies to investigate the issue as a matter of urgency to bring the perpetrators to book.

“These acts constitute a breach of the Vigilante and Related Offenses Act, 2019 Act 999. The Act seeks to disband violent activities of Political Parties and makes political vigilantism an offence punishable by a prison term” it said.

The statement reminded the public, particularly Political Party agents, that any person who wishes to challenge an applicant based on ineligibility must fill a challenge form, which will then be presented to the District Registration Review Committee for a ruling on the matter.

It advised Political Party agents not to resort to violence to challenge a person’s eligibility.

The Commission calls on the public to condemn the violence and urges all eligible citizens to turn out in their numbers to register to vote in the 2020 General Election.