EC must address registration challenges - GFL

Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has called on the Electoral Commission(EC) to address challenges arising from the ongoing nationwide voter registration exercise.

The exercise, which was in its third phase, commenced on June 30, 2020, and expected to end on August 6, 2020, would replace the existing register which had been described as bloated and not good enough.

Mr Abraham Koomson, Secretary General of the GFL, told the Ghana News Agency that his outfit foresaw such challenges and cautioned the EC but they did not listen.

Mr Koomson added that “obviously the ongoing exercise is fraught with serious problems of duplication and multiple registration. Malfunction of equipment has been widely reported and causing undue delays in registration centres”.

He said the purpose and reasons given by the EC to justify the compilation of a new register had been woefully defeated considering the massive protestations, violence and fatalities associated with the exercise.

“We wonder whether all eligible citizens will be able to register by the deadline of 6th August 2020 to enable them participate in the 7th December 2020 general elections, ”he added.

The GFA called for more registration machines, increase the number of registration centres as well as if possible, extend the date to prevent unnecessary delay which they said was the cause of long queues, delays, and violence at the various centres across the country.

According to the GFL, failure on the part of the EC to immediately address the challenges and put in proper measures could lead to intensified protestations if people were not able to register by the deadline through no fault of theirs.