Nomination of candidates not based on final register - EC to NDC

The Electoral Commission (EC) has assured the National Democratic Congress (NDC), other stakeholders, and the general public that the nomination process for presidential and parliamentary candidates is not based on the final voters register and therefore the receipt of nominations from September 9 to 13, 2024, was not premature as claimed by the NDC.

The NDC, in its petition to the EC following the party’s demonstration on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, claimed that,

“In a departure from standard electoral principles, the EC opened nominations for presidential and parliamentary aspirants from September 9 to 13, 2024, while the voters register was still in its provisional state – Nominations should be conducted using the final voters register.”

In response, the EC clarified in a letter to the NDC, that nomination of candidates, by law, is based on the provisional voters register (PVR), not the final voters register as claimed by the NDC.

In the letter, the EC said, “Receipt of nominations from presidential and parliamentary candidates took place after the exhibition of the provisional voters register. Contrary to your position that it was premature because the final register was not made available for this purpose, Regulation 50(1) of C.I 127 (Interpretation), defines a ‘registered voter’ as ‘a person whose name appears on the provisional voters register.’ It is therefore lawful to use a PVR for the nomination exercise.”

On the NDC’s call for a forensic audit, the EC said that the party's call is currently not justified.

It indicated that there are still more proceeds available to clean up the voters register.

“… the Commission is of the view that the legal and administrative processes laid down to clean the PVR have not been fully exhausted to justify the calls for a forensic audit. We entreat the public to trust us to carry out our mandate.”



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