EC ready for registration exercise on Tuesday

Accra, March 12, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) on Friday said all is set for the voter registration exercises to start on Tuesday, March 16 as scheduled. The exercise is the first step towards the replacement of the voters' register.

Mr Albert Kofi Arhin, EC Director of Elections, told the Ghana News Agency, in an interview that distribution of registration materials to all the regional, and districts capitals have been completed. He said training of Registration, Shading and Lamination Officials ends on Saturday, March 13, 2004.

Mr Arhin said the perennial allowance problem had been settled with all the officials especially concerning their training, transportation and other emoluments and urged all concerned to put up their best performance for a successful exercise.

The EC Director of Elections also advised potential voters to participate fully in the exercise to secure their franchise for Election 2004, stressing: "The first milestone toward participating in the democratic process of electing either a President, Parliamentarian or an Assembly Member is by registering."

He also urged people in the non-photo zones to keep their registration slips very well as that would be the only basis for taking the photograph later.

Mr Arhin said multiple registration, impersonation, unlawful possession of registration materials, preventing a qualified person from registering, lying about one's nationality or age and printing any form related to the registration of voters without authority from the Commission constituted offences.

Other offences he mentioned were interfering with or disrupting the registration process, or the work of a registration official, forging or wilfully destroying any official notice or document concerning the registration of voters.

Anyone found guilty of any of the above mentioned offences is liable on conviction by a court, to a fine not exceeding one million cedis and or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both.

He said the offender could also be barred from registering as a voter for five years, after his/her term in jail.

He reminded Political Party Agents that they were only observers and not registration officials.