NDC against restricted registration in EC district offices

General News on Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-04-17

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it will resist attempts by the Electoral Commission (EC) to hold the next restricted voter registration exercise in the district offices of the commission.

According to the NDC, this decision was not one of the issues raised at the last meeting of the Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) held in March.

Speaking to the media, the party's general secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said the NDC "was very opposed" on the issue and was "opposed to any registration system that would be limited to district offices". of the EC ".

"The parties never agreed with the electoral commission to limit the limited number [exercise] only to the district centers of the commission. "

The party insists that the EC must adhere to the decentralization of the exercise up to the level of the electoral zones instead of the 260 district offices.

In addition, he said, "the available evidence shows that it is a system that will eventually deprive many voters of its right to vote." qualified potentials ".

Mr. Aseidu Nketia also expressed his concern about the possible lack of resources in some of the newly created districts.

"These new districts do not even have the necessary equipment, and what will happen is that if we allow the proposal to stay, it will mean that the inhabitants of the new districts will also move to the parent district so that their names be registered. "

He noted that some residents will have to travel nearly 100 kilometers to get to the capital of their district to participate in the exercise.

He also mentioned the difficulties that the inhabitants of Bole, for example, might have to face because he is subjected to a curfew.

The Commission plans to establish a new register of voters for the next presidential and legislative elections in Ghana after an agreement with the different political parties.

But the NDC has also denied the agreement on the constitution of a new electoral register for the next general elections.