NDC, others picket at EC offices in Bolgatanga over new voters’ register

The Inter-Party Resistance Against the New Voters’ Register is set to stage a picket at the offices of the Electoral Commission in the Upper East Regional capital Bolgatanga, today January 22, 2019.

The protest action which is led by the opposition National Democratic Congress in the Upper East region forms part of series of protest actions being undertaken by parties opposing the compilation of a new voters’ register by the Electoral Commission.

The opposing parties to the new voters register made up of the National Democratic Congress, People’s National Convention, Progressive Peoples Party, All Peoples Congress and others held a mammoth demonstration in the Ashanti regional capital Kumasi on Tuesday after a similar one was held in Tamale.

The picketing in Upper East region by members of the coalition is expected to draw large numbers of protesters to all offices of the EC from dawn to dusk.

Upper East Regional Deputy Communication Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress Caspar Kampoli in an interview on Bolgatanga based Yem Radio monitored by MyNewsGh.com, said the intransigence of the Electoral Commission in its plans to compile a new voters register has the tendency to destabilise the expected peaceful election process in December.

“They (EC) has taken a decision and now they are using PR stunts to try and legitimize whatever decision they have taken. We are of the view and believe that good reasoning will prevail, the EC works in the interest of the people of this country. When we started the campaign against the referendum to make sure that we elect our Assembly Members and Unit Committee Members on party lines, there were people who thought it would not work. Eventually we got the President to rescind that decision.

"When a President planned to use about $200 million to construct a chamber for parliament, a campaign was started against it and eventually they dropped it. So we are of the view that the current demonstrations that we are embarking on after several others will continue,” he said.

He indicated that the protest will be peaceful adding that “We are moving straight to the Electoral Commission’s office and we will be there from morning till the time that we think that we are weak. We will carry placards that will carry our message.”

The EC has among other reasons raised concern over the security of the electoral system as one of the key reasons a new voters’ register must be compiled.

Though there have been several protests and public uproar over the decision, the commission has announced it would proceed with the compilation of the new voters register in April.