EC's secret deal exposed

-Allows more names onto special voting list after deadline

- 20,980 voters unaccounted for

Information available to the Daily Statesman indicates that after giving out the final register for the upcoming polls to the various political parties, the Electoral Commission still went ahead to compile more names for special voting, extending the period for the exercise to as late as yesterday, and doing it on the blind side of the parties.

While the regulations guiding the elections say the final register must be given to the parties at least 21 days to the polls, the special voting list must be compiled at least 40 days to the polls.

According to a police wireless message written on the directives of the Inspector General of Police, "Information received from the EC indicate (sic) that closing date for updating the early voting register is Sunday 20/11/2016."

In another police wireless message, dated November 17, 2016, the IGP directed all regional, divisional, district, and unit commanders "to liaise with their respective EC officials to key in missing names of all security personnel within their jurisdiction."

The message further directed officers commanding police training schools to liaise with police regional commanders to "key in names of recruits in training onto the special voters list to enable them participate in the early voting."

What appears to make this development worrying is the fact that, as far as the law is concerned, the application to be entered on the list of special voters had been determined and concluded as far back as October 28, 2016, forty two clear days to the Election Day.

The CI 94 which is the law governing the conduct of the December 7 polls spells out, first of all, who qualifies to apply to be entered into the list of special voters and how that application process ought to be done.

It also spells out where and when that process ought to be completed. And the directive from the head of police runs in contravention to the CI 94 provisions.

As it stands now, and with only 15 days to the polls, it is legally impossible to be having an exercise of adding more names to the special voters list which the law clearly states the application ought to be over and done with not later than forty-two days before the polling day of December 7, 2016.

In a related development, there appears to be nearly 30,000 voters that have not been accounted for by the EC.

Whilst the number of registered voters on the final register given to the political parties, and used as the basis to dispense the ballots to the various polling stations across the country, stands at 15,680,910, the figure on the website of the EC is 15,682,910, a clear difference of 20,980.

Per what the EC gave the political parties, the Greater Accra has the highest voter population of 3, 053,572; followed by the Ashanti region with 2,867,907. The Eastern region follows next with 1,603,176, whilst the Western region comes up with 1,579,750.

The northern region voter population stands at 1,426,500, with the Brong Ahafo following closely with 1,404,642. The Central, Volta, Upper East and Upper West regions have voter populations of 1,403,855, 1,280,670, 647,824 and 415,014 respectively.