Voter registration: EC to commence weekly press briefings to promote transparency

The Electoral Commission (EC) has launched an initiative aimed at providing timely updates to the citizenry on its operations of the ongoing voter registration exercise.

The initiative which is dubbed; “Let the Citizens Know” affords the Commission an opportunity to also engage the press on Wednesday and Friday of each week on its operations.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative, EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa said her outfits only resolve is to provide a transparent and fair means to allow all citizens to exercise their voting franchise.

“We believe that this platform of weekly briefings on our operations will accord us an opportunity to provide timely information on a regular basis on the citizenry. We are confident that by doing so, we will demystify the operations of the Commission and remove cloaks of secrecy that had hitherto shrouded our work,” Mrs Jean Mensa said.

She added: “These, we hope, will help erase the tension and suspicion that characterize our work and elections generally.”

Deputy Chairman of Operations at the EC, Samuel Tettey, on his part disclosed his outfit has already recorded 2,215,816 registered applicants across some parts of the country in the last six days of the exercise.

These figures, the EC says are provisional and are subject to change.

The compilation of a new voters register by the EC commenced on June 30, 2020, through to July 5, 2020, in the first phase of the exercise across the country.

The exercise, which is expected to last for 38 days, is projected to capture the biometric data of about 17 million Ghanaians eligible to vote ahead of the 2020 December 7 general elections.