Multiple registration in A/R not 200,000 - EC

The Electoral Commission of Ghana has clarified that the number of suspected multiple registrations in the Ashanti region is not 200,000 as earlier stated by the Chairperson of the commission.

According to the commission the figure is rather for total registrations for the region in 2014.

Mrs. Charlotte Osei has thus corrected the figure for suspected multiple registrations for the Ashanti region as being 14,651.

The opposition New Patriotic Party questioned the basis upon on which Mrs. Osei arrived at the earlier figure from the party’s stronghold.

Responding to the decision of the EC to maintain the existing electoral roll for the November polls, campaign manager for the NPP, Mark Manu slammed the EC boss for the factual inaccuracies.

“She (Charlotte Osei) made the bold statement that the EC has identified in Ashanti region alone, 200,000 names which are on the multiple registration list…this disclosure is again very strange.

“The EC in its response to the NPP claimed in page 23 that 150,000 names had been identified as multiples nationwide. How is it possible therefore for the EC to identify as much as 200,000 names in the Ashanti region alone?” He queried.

The NPP cited this and a number of other reasons to accuse the EC boss of towing the propaganda line of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“The NPP hereby serves notice that, it remains totally dissatisfied with the response from the EC and reiterate its conviction that only a new credible voter’s register will guarantee us free, fair and transparent elections” the former party Chairman added.

However, in an earlier interview on Morning Starr with Robert Nii Arday Clegg, the EC boss admitted she mixed up the figures concerning multiple registrations in the Ashanti region.

“I made a mistake with the figures and I think it’s really important that we clarify it and we put it on record. With regard to the suspected multiple registrations which are on the exception’s list.

“For the Northern region for instance we have…about 83,000 people registered and we have suspected multiples of 8169, Upper West region; 24,000 registered with suspected multiples of 2,279 still in the process of adjudicating. Volta region; 52,000 plus registrations with suspected multiples of 4,000, Western Region; 91,000 registrations, suspected multiples of 7,000 plus. Central Region; 92,000 registrations, with suspected multiples of 5,968. Greater Accra; 162,000 registrations, suspected multiples of 11,555, Upper East region; 35,849 registrations suspected multiples 2977.

“Eastern; 93,000 registrations, 5,490 suspected duplicates, Ashanti region; 200,559 registrations not multiples and 14,651 suspected multiples, it’s still the highest but it’s not 200,000. And then Brong Ahafo is 89,000 registrations 6,964 suspected multiples” the EC boss explained.

She added, “But again, to be clear the multiple registrations are not in the actual register. They are on an exception’s list and as we adjudicate and take a final decision then they are either deleted totally out or the ones that pass the test of credible, legitimate registrations are now added to the register.”