Opposition parties demonstrate against new voters’ register

The Inter-Party Resistance against New Voters’ Register, a group made up of some political parties, at the weekend embarked on a demonstration against the Electoral Commission's decision to compile a new biometric voters register for the 2020 General Election.

The political parties included the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP), the United Progressive Party (UPP), the United Front Party (UFP), the All Peoples' Congress (APC), and the Peoples’ National Convention (PNC).

They matched from the Tamale Jubilee Park to the Afa Ajura Mosque at Sakasaka, through to the Choggu Roundabout to the Aboabo Street, to the Central Mosque and finally reconvened at the Jubilee Park.

Clad in red and black T-shirts, they held various placards some of which read; "#DroptheREGISTERNow", "CPP say no to new voter register”, “Jean Mensa No need for new voters register,” and “Nana Bring Back GN and not Voter Register.”

Mr Johnson Asiedu Nkietiah, the General Secretary of the NDC, said the current register was authentic hence the demonstration to advocate for its use in the 2020 elections to save the public purse from depleting.

He cautioned foreign companies to desist from making any financial and logistical commitments towards the compilation of a new voters’ register by the EC.

Dr Hassan Ayariga, the leader of the APC, said the old biometric register used in the 2012 elections was still credible, and urged the citizenry to collectively go out to demonstrate against the compilation of a new one to ensure a free and transparent elections.

He argued that if the EC claimed the register was not credible, then it was conclusive that all elections held after 2012 were not credible.

"We will not agree for the EC to use that huge sum of money to compile a voter register" he said.

Dr Jasper Abembia Ayelazuno, a Political Science Lecturer at the University for Development Studies, Nyankpala Campus, who joined the demonstration, said: “I decided to join this demonstration because I think that the EC compiling a new register now and the amount to be spent is a waste of time and waste of the country’s scarce resources.”

Parliament has approved 390 million Ghana cedis as the EC’s budget for the exercise.

Other political party members present at the demonstration included Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, National Chairman of the NDC, Mr Desmond Twumasi Ntow, the National Organizer of the PNC, and other party sympathisers.