By Ewoenam Kpodo
Aflao (V/R), Sept. 21, GNA- Mr Bright Kwashie Ege, Deputy Volta Regional Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described Electoral Commission (EC’s) announcement of conducting a continuous registration exercise next year as suspicious.
Speaking to Ghana News Agency, he said recent announcements by Madam Jean Mensah, Chairperson, EC, and Dr Serebour Quaicoe, Director of Electoral Services, EC assuring Ghanaians of an intended continuous registration exercise at its district offices and expansion of voter registration to some difficult to reach areas to register eligible voters in 2024 could be “a trick.”
The EC on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, began a three-week limited voter registration exercise to register persons who have turned 18 years and above since the last registration in 2020 at its district offices nationwide – a departure from the old system where limited registration exercises were conducted at the electoral areas.
This move by the EC received criticism from a section of the public who described the EC’s decision as an attempt to disenfranchise millions of young people and persons with disability across the country, thus, unconstitutional.
Additionally, some five political parties including the NDC filed for an interlocutory injunction at the Supreme Court to refrain the EC from proceeding with the exercise.
Mr Ege said the ongoing limited voter registration exercise could not yield the expected apathy of Ghanaians for the process as envisaged by the EC, thus, its recent ploy to get the public to relax.
“Despite the fact that they have limited the exercise to district offices to prevent people from registering in their numbers, they are surprised about the enthusiasm of Ghanaians in ensuring they get registered to vote in the 2024 general election and they are now misleading the public just to get them relaxed and not register.”
He entreated all to “disregard that fake promise” and flock to the registration centres and register for the voter cards to enable them to exercise their franchise next year.
GNA