Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Divine Otoo Agorhom says the usual political rallies that characterize electioneering periods in the country should be ignored this year, given the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
Speaking on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News, the NPP Regional chair said the risk posed by the disease does not create the needed atmosphere for the mobilization of political activists and their followers as part of the electoral processes.
“I am not seeing rallies this year at all. Ideally, if you ask me there is no need for rallies. The experts are telling us to brace ourselves to be with this situation. They are forecasting a period of 12 months more so if that is the situation why do you risk going to rallies? So we can leave that. This is the situation we find ourselves in. The virus is novel so, because we have been pushed to that, we must innovate ways.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Agorhom highlighted the need to stage the December 7 polls amidst the pandemic adding that new measures must be adopted to ensure a successful election to avert any chaos.
“The President is so firm on his decision that, come December 7, there should be an election because he will not go even one day after his mandate. The Electoral Commission has been clear that there will be an election. So if the situation remains like this and we are unable to do mass gatherings, we should find other means that will make our people energized for the elections.”
EC’s preparations for elections
The EC will begin the voter registration exercise in the last week of June 2020.
The commission has outlined its plan for the exercise, which is expected to last till July 2020 across 33,367 polling stations.
According to the electoral management body, it will adopt safety measures when the registration exercise to commence.
In line with the law, political parties are to be informed of the exact date not later than 21 days before the start of the exercise after the Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) which is currently before Parliament matures.
The EC presented the Public Election (Amendment) regulation, 2020 (C.I. 126) to Parliament to amend C.I 91 in order to change the identification requirements passed in 2016.
