NDC urges EC to step up publicity on registration

Koforidua, May 8, GNA - The Eastern Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Julius Debrah, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to step up its publicity drive on the on-going voters' registration exercise to encourage qualified persons to register.

Mr Debrah made the call during an interaction with the media at Koforidua on Monday after a meeting with members of the party's monitoring team on the registration exercise.

He said report reaching him from the monitoring teams in the constituencies indicated that some of the registration centres were recording zero daily, even though there were young people of 18 years in the area but had not registered yet ostensibly due to the lack of awareness of the exercise.

According to him, at many registration centres visited by the teams, especially in the Akuapem South District, the team came across centres with only one registration official, contrary to what the EC had told the political parties.

Mr Debrah cited Kwame Boafo and Kwasi Registration Centres in Akuapem South, where the monitoring team came across situations where, due to the misinterpretation of the registration regulations, some people above 20 years were being refused registration and therefore appealed to the EC to help correct such situations.

He said at Amanfro Nyekyeni Registration Centre, the monitoring team came across a situation where the Registration Officer, one Mr Ababio allegedly had pictures of four persons, which he was in the process of preparing lamination cards for even though they had not yet filled the forms for them and the persons were not present at the centre at time

According to Mr Debrah, the New Patriotic Party agent at the registration centre also complained that he had not seen any of the persons whose pictures were in the possession of the Registration Officer.

He appealed to members of the party and all well-meaning Ghanaians to be vigilant and to stop any attempt by any political party or individual from manipulating the exercise for his or her selfish ends. Mr Debrah also urged Ghanaians to offer the necessary support and encouragement to people who were qualified to register to do so. 8 May 06