NDC agents not prevented from SHSs – EC clears air

The Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) has cleared the air regarding claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that its agents were prevented from monitoring the registration exercise in some two senior high schools in the Ashanti Region.

The NDC had accused the EC of preventing its agents from observing the exercise at Tepa Senior High School and Prempeh College in the Region.

“The Commission emphatically states that it did not prevent any party agent from observing the registration exercise at the above-mentioned schools as is being alleged,” the EC said in a statement on Sunday, July 19.

It said it informed all political parties about the exercise in line with laid-down procedure.

In the case of Tepa SHS, the EC said it made available 16 biometric voter registration (BVR) kits for the exercise.

But as part of strictly observing Covid-19 protocols, the school’s authorities limited the number of party agents on the campus to two for each party.

Both the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) agreed to this arrangement, the EC explained.

But midway into the exercise, the EC continued, the NDC expressed dissatisfaction with the number of their agents present, requesting that they have an agent each monitoring the BVR kits.

“The school authorities opposed the idea as they felt that it would increase the number of persons present.

In the wake of the disagreement, the school authorities called in the security agents who restored calm.”

It said the registration continued without any hindrance.

“Regarding the registration at the Prempeh College, the agents of the NDC did not show up despite a notice to all political parties about the registration.

“In the spirit of transparency and accountability, the Commission delayed the registration till 1:00pm, five (5) clear hours after the approved start time of 7am.

“Representatives of the NDC came to the Centre at 5.00 pm, after only one hundred and twenty-nine (129) out of over one thousand (1,000) eligible applicants had been registered.

“They called for the registration process to be halted due to the fact that their agents were not present. The process was halted to forestall unrest to the peaceful exercise.”

The EC feels the accusations are “calculated” to discredit the exercise “and bring its name into disrepute”.

“The Commission entreats the general public to disregard the allegations and work with the Commission to make the registration exercise successful.”