No House Numbers, No Vote?

Hundreds of eligible voters in some parts of Ashanti Region, were allegedly prevented from registering in the recently concluded registration exercise because they did not have houses and house numbers.

Voters in Aboabo, Mossie Zongo, Asawase and Bantama, complained that they dutifully queued up to register during the registration, but to their disappointment, they were refused registration, simply because they could not give proper addresses or house numbers. During an interaction with them, this reporter found that many of them did hot have houses and sleep in kiosks, or on pavements, which have no identification numbers.

"This is totally unfair", one sad eligible voter said. Some complained that the registration officers acted funny," immediately they heard our names, they asked us where we hail from and where we live, doubting our nationality, age and tribe."

"This will affect the votes in 2008 elections", said, dejectedly. "How can one tell another's nationality by mere looks or name?" , one other queried. "You journalist," one poked his finger in my face, "go and tell the Electoral Commissioner to tell his officials to be impartial in the registration."

At the Regional Administration in Kumasi, I put the complaints to the Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr. Kofi Asomaning, whom I had known in Tamale in 2000, but he coolly answered, rather surprisingly, that "this is news to me." He stated firmly that he had heard no complaints and received none. When I asked him about registration complaints in Ahafo Ano South; Mr Asomaning said that he had received some complaints from that place, but had dispatched one of his officers who returned empty-handed. According to Mr. Asomaning, the whole exercise in the region was generally successful." But, Bula Matari Mohammed, the Deputy regional Secretary of NDC rejected what Mr. Asomaning said.

Speaking to me, in Kumasi, Alhaji Mohammed said, "The NPP says Ashanti is their stronghold, by which it (NPP) should open up its control," he paused and continued, "The NPP still intimidates, prevents and disallows eligible voters from registering; to me, this does not correspond with the word, stronghold",

He then opined, "I think eligible voters should be allowed to register."

I asked Alhaji Bula Matari if he had any evidence to buttress his allegations. 'Yes," he replied. "People were being prevented from registering especially at Bantama; where one of the registration centres was right inside a chief's palace, which is enclosed."

He continued, "You see, those who went there and called northern-sounding names or Muslim names were either beaten up or if lucky, chased away."

To this, the Regional Electoral Director answered, "if that happened, I am not the one to advise the person to lodge a complaint with the police".

Alhaji Matari also alleged that the Bantama Constituency chairman of the NPP tore up a registration "slip" of a voter right in front of the electoral officers, "which is an electoral offence" he said.

Alhaji Mohammed recalled that one serial caller, Maharaj, an NDC Deputy Propaganda Secretary at Dunkirk was denied registration with the claim that he was not a Ghanaian, "but the guy's great grand parents were naturalized Ghanaians and his mother is from Yendi." Alhaji Mohammed, further said, "At Asawasi, petty, petty tricks were used to scare away prospective voters, for example, they would ask you, 'How old are you? Why didn't you register the last time? Go and bring your birth certificate.'