Ghana’s main opposition New Patriotic Party has petitioned the Electoral Commission to compile a new voter list for next year’s presidential and parliamentary elections. Some other opposition parties have backed the call for a new voter register, but some civil society groups and the ruling National Democratic Congress say the current voter register compiled in 2012 is credible. Christian Owusu-Parry, the Electoral Commission’s Acting Director of Public Affairs says the electoral body plans to organize a September 22 stakeholder’s workshop. He says parties will be able to present their views before a decision is made about a new voter list.
“The commission is giving everybody a hearing, so the commission has asked that all stakeholders, not just the political parties and other civil society groups, if they have any view on the register they should make their views and positions known to the electoral commission,” Owusu-Parry said.
“Indeed the commission intends to have some stakeholder workshops to look at the cases people are making against the voter register and for everyone who has a position on the register to come in to show what concerns they have and what they propose that challenges that they have identified can be addressed,” he added.
“The commission has given the stakeholders up to the 22nd of this month to submit their positions, both soft copy and hard copy, to the commission to study before the day of the workshop. That is how the commission is approaching the situation as of now.”
Full Article: Ghana to Decide on Calls for Fresh Voter Register.