The Electoral Commission (EC) has refuted allegations suggesting that it intends to deprive voters of their rights in the ongoing limited voter registration initiative.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) had accused the commission of deliberately complicating the registration process for first-time voters in their strongholds by dispatching faulty registration equipment to those regions.
Furthermore, the NDC leveled accusations of collusion between the EC and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in an attempt to disenfranchise eligible voters.
Contrary to these claims, the EC has dismissed them, clarifying that the issue of malfunctioning devices was a challenge faced uniformly across all 16 regions, except Savannah.
During a press conference, Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the EC, acknowledged the existence of challenges but firmly refuted the allegations, assuring the public that the registration process was proceeding smoothly.
She stated, “As a Commission, we are working tirelessly to ensure that every eligible voter can register with ease. We have heard accusations from various quarters about the Commission disenfranchising eligible voters, which is untrue.”
Mensa emphasized the Commission’s commitment to upholding international best practices in maintaining a credible voter register. She also addressed criticism concerning the decision to utilize the 268 district offices as registration centers, clarifying that the current exercise aimed to update the existing register and that a comprehensive registration took place in over 33,000 polling stations in 2020.
Additionally, the Commission clarified that restricting registration to its district offices would not result in voter disenfranchisement. They planned to conduct ongoing registration at district offices and conduct mop-up exercises in remote areas before the 2024 elections.
Mensa concluded by assuring, “It is important to note that this will not be the only registration exercise we will have before the 2024 elections.”