Limited voter registration exercise: Jean Mensa to brief Parliament Nov.8

The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Mensa, is expected to appear before Parliament on Wednesday, 8 November 2023.

The EC Chair will brief the House on the recent limited voter registration which led to the registration of over 600,000 new voters.

The decision by the EC to restrict the registration exercise to its district offices has been criticised by the Minority in Parliament, who argue that this restriction has placed an additional financial burden on Members of Parliament (MPs).

The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, presented the business statement in Parliament, announcing the upcoming appearance of the EC Chairperson.

He stressed the importance of obtaining information directly from the EC before casting judgment on their actions.

“Mr Speaker, [Alban Bagbin] pursuant to order 44, the leadership of the business committee proposed that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, be invited to attend upon the house [on] November 8, 2023, at a close sitting to brief members of the house on matters arising from the recently held limited voter registration exercise undertaken by the commission and other related matters.

“Of course, it wasn’t necessary to castigate the EC when you have not heard from them, it was unnecessary,” the Majority leader indicated.

There has been public criticism of the EC's decision to restrict registration centers to its district offices, which are often inconvenient for many eligible voters.

Both the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and various civil society organizations called on the EC to expand the registration exercise to more accessible locations.

However, the EC maintained its stance and concluded the 2023 limited voter registration exercise across its district offices on October 2, 2023, without extending the registration period.