NPP, NDC entitlement to electoral register unacceptable – Casely-Hayford

Sydney Casely-Hayford, a social commentator, has decried the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) sense of entitlement on matters having to do with the electoral register.

He noted that it was wrong and unacceptable for the NDC’s to agitate over the Electoral Commission’s move to compile a new voters’ register and that both parties behave like the EC has no right to do anything or to correct the register.

“They think they are the only parties entitled to the electoral register and they should be consulted before anything is done to it, and I am saying is wrong and unacceptable,” Mr Casely-Hayford bemoaned.

He indicated that, “At the bedrock of all our democracy has to be a good accepted register by the citizenry, the fact that the NDC has formed a political party and the NPP has formed a political party and have channelled the voice of their members through it doesn’t give them the right to usurp our authority.

“The EC is the one who is mandated constitutionally and by law to make changes to the voters’ register which Jean Mensa is the chairperson, should be used for conducting elections.

“If she has decided that she is going to do it and she has been courteous enough to inform you that this is what I will be doing, you have no right to disagree and say we don’t accept that you should do it.

“The EC’s decision for a new voters’ register came after an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting and made the decision in consultation with the political parties, it has said the new register will include enhancing features, making it worthy of democracy,” Mr Casely-Hayford said.

Reacting to the EC’s announcement, the NDC demanded the withdrawal of the communiqué issued by the EC, insisting that no consensus was reached.

Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa, however, indicated that the EC’s announcement of plans to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 general election was reckless.

“Presumably, for a big announcement like this, all parties should be on board, it looks as if this is quite a reckless means of communicating a major decision that has not been thought through properly by all parties,” he lamented.