"Human Flood" during limited registration is abnormal - EC

Accra, Aug. 8, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) on Friday described the huge turnout at most of the registration centres as an abnormal phenomenon saying that it overwhelms the initial projections of capturing between 800,000 and one million eligible voters during the 11-day exercise.

"We have never experienced huge inflows of potential voters at the centres to register during limited registration exercise since the inception of the Fourth Republic. Not even during the main exercise has the intensity been almost constant throughout the period," Mr. David Adeenze-Kangah, EC Deputy Chairman in Charge of Finance and Administration, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview. The limited revision of the voters' register is to offer Ghanaians who have turned 18 years since the last exercise in 2006 the opportunity to register to vote in the December polls and in any future public elections or referenda started on July 31 and would end on August 10. It also seeks to give the chance to other eligible Ghanaians who could not register in the previous registration exercise to register to vote.

Unfortunately the whole process has been plagued by operational challenges including shortages of materials and slow pace of the process. Mr. Adeenze-Kangah explained that in view of the current challenges, the EC had unleashed its contingency measures to combat the challenge to ensure that all eligible Ghanaians were captured to participate in the December polls. The EC Deputy Chairman assured the public, political parties, democratic stakeholders of the Commission's commitment to administer its operational and administrative responsibilities towards Election 2008 with utmost professionalism at every stage of the process. "We will not do anything untoward to mar the integrity of the Commission and credibility of the electoral results. We have an international reputation to protect," Mr Adeenze-Kangah stated. He reiterated that the registration offences are registering more than once, either at the same place or at different places, multiple registration, registering in the name of some other person, alive, dead or fictitious and impersonation.

Others are 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. Anybody found guilty is liable on conviction by a court to a fine not exceeding GH¢100 cedis or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both. In addition, the offender could be barred from registering as a voter for five years, starting from the date of the expiration of the term of imprisonment.

Mr Adeenze-Kangah explained that electoral wrongdoings were serious offences constituting a criminal act, and appealed to all illegible persons who might have been covertly lured to register to immediately make the necessary moves to remove their names before the exhibition of the voters' register. He said during the exhibition of the voters' register the general public would be given the opportunity to scrutinize the names on the electoral roll for ineligible names such as non-Ghanaians, minors and people who are not resident in the electoral area. The Ghana News Agency observed during a tour of some registration centres less than 72 hours to the close of the exercise that most of the centres are still heavily choked with people who intend to register. One of them told the GNA: "We have been standing under the scorching sun for hours, without food as we fear losing our position in the queue.but we are determined to register and vote."