EC does not engage NDC on new voters register – Afriyie Ankrah

Policy of Friday, March 29, 2019

Source: X Y Z

2019-03-29

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), which is an opposition party, said it would oppose any attempt by the electoral commission to force itself to make key decisions of interest without the effective participation of the different political parties.

This statement follows a statement by the EC that a unilateral decision was taken at a meeting of the Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) held on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, that it would begin compiling the new register of voters. the presidential and legislative elections of 2020.

Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the NDC's chief electoral officer, told XYZ News that the EC was dishonest in its statement about what had happened at the SCPI meeting, alleging that the parties had agreed to create a new registry.

According to Mr. Afriyie Ankrah, the establishment of a new voters register not being part of the agenda items of the discussion, so it can not justify any basis for a decision of the parties policies.

In a statement issued after the IPAC meeting, the EC said that "the Commission will draw up a new register of voters before the presidential and legislative elections of 2020".

But the NDC believes that the EC has not faithfully represented what happened at the meeting. The party will therefore take steps to resist any imposition of the electorate in this regard.

The agenda of the meeting only concerned "preparations for the 2019 elections at the district level", "inspections of the offices of political parties" and "updates on the compliance of political parties with the requirements of the verification"; [NDC] are surprised that the EC has announced the constitution of a new register.

"It's absolutely shocking … It was not on the agenda," he said while noting that the issue of a new voters register is "a major issue" that requires much deliberation.