Charlotte Osei, EC Chairman
The various opposition political parties in the country are bringing more pressure to bear on the Electoral Commission (EC) for a new voter register to be put in place before the 2016 general elections.
Latest to join the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the crusade is the Convention People’s Party (CPP). General Secretary of the CPP, Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, is leading the charge.
At a consultative meeting with the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Greenstreet stressed the urgent need for the EC to summon an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting to consider the proposal for a new register.
He therefore called on the new chairperson of the Electoral Commission to consider its implementation to clear any doubts and suspicion that any political party or individual or group of persons may be having about the existing register, which is believed to be bloated.
The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, whose party has been leading the crusade for a new register, called on all political parties and civil society organisations to support the call for a new voter register for the 2016 general elections.
The NPP chief scribe said, “The call is not only for NPP, but for the supreme interest of our growing democracy.
“After the election petition at the Supreme Court, the confidence of the Ghanaian voter in the electoral process has gone down and it is important we all support the Electoral Commission in raising it.”
Mr Agyepong was accompanied by Kwadwo Afari, the Policy Analyst and Karim Kudayah, a member of the Organizational Committee of the NPP.
With the exception of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), almost all the other recognized political parties are pushing for a new register.
But the EC is yet to take a concrete decision on the issue, even though it is said to be considering the proposal in view of the seeping loopholes identified in the existing register.
The NPP is expected to make a compelling case for a new voter register at a press conference to be addressed by the leadership of the party on Tuesday, August 18, 2015. It will be addressed by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate, and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, vice presidential candidate.
The highlight of the event would be a presentation by Dr. Bawumia, who would be sharing the evidence gathered by the NPP investigation team that would demonstrate why the party maintains that the current voter register is fundamentally flawed and must be changed in order to guarantee a fair ground for credible elections next year.
This event of immense national significance will take place at the Ridge Arena, Alisa Hotel, Ridge, Accra, at 9:30 am.
Before the Alisa news conference, Mr Kwabena Agyepong and Dr. Bawumia will at 9 am, present a document at the headquarters of the Electoral Commission to the Chairperson, Mrs Charlotte Osei. “This comprehensive document contains the evidence of our case for a new register…,” he underscored.
