EC did not err in publishing details of voters register - Kofi Abotsi

Ernest Kofi Abotsi, Dean of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) Law Faculty has said the Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission did not go contrary to the provisions of the law in publishing details of the newly compiled voters register.

The leadership of the Electoral Commission came under intense public attack after they uploaded the full details of electorates on their website as captured in a voters’ register.

But Mr. Abotsi argued that the commission did not break any laws in doing so because the constitution doesn’t state any restrictions as regards the publication of the EC’s voters’ roll.

Speaking on the Joy Super Morning Show he asserted “The law allows the EC to publicly advertise or exhibit the voters register. Now, the public platform is not specified…the Constitution does not restrict the extent of public restriction.”

“In that respect,” he continued, “the publication on the public platform itself is not wrong,” Mr. Abotsi said.

However, Mr. Abotsi was quick to note his worry about the kind of details published in the EC voters register.

The EC published amongst other things the age, gender, polling station codes of electorates. But shortly after the backlash, the commission took down the google drive document.

Meanwhile, the EC has also justified the decision to publish full details of electorates on their website.

The EC during a press conference stated that “C.I. 127 requires that the provisional voter’s register is published on our website. That same law states that the final register is published in a manner that the Commission deems fit.”