The Electoral Commission (EC) has refuted claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it has deliberately removed the names of NDC members from the voter register.
In a statement, the EC insisted that “at every point, we have provided factual, accurate and evidence-based information to our stakeholders on voter statistics per region, district, gender, age among others.”
The EC also said it has been transparent with the data from the voter registration exercise which saw 16.9 persons register to vote.
It thus said it would be “a paradox to suggest that the same Commission now seeks to remove persons from the voters’ register.”
“Had that been the agenda of the Commission, it would not have given detailed information to stakeholders throughout the registration process. We assure the general public that these allegations are unfounded.”
The Commission further reminded persons making such allegations that the exhibition process is to allow stakeholders “to unearth problems with the register for the purpose of fixing it.”
The Director of Elections for the NDC, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, has said the party has detailed reports to back claims that the EC deliberately deleted the names of registered voters from the register.
The party’s flagbearer, John Mahama, called off his tour of the Bono Region for a meeting where the reports were to be presented to him to decide on the next line of action.
Mr. Mahama is expected to speak on the alleged irregularities in the electoral process tomorrow.
He has also called on the international community to intervene in the electoral processes in Ghana.
Find below the full statement from the EC
ALLEGATIONS REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC) SUPPORTERS FROM THE VOTERS REGISTER ARE UNFOUNDED
Our attention has been drawn to statements in the media by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its Flagbearer to the effect that the Electoral Commission is carrying out an agenda to remove the names of its supporters and sympathisers from the Voters Register.
This allegation is false.
The Commission has, from the beginning of the compilation of the Voters Register, lived up to its motto: Fairness, Transparency and Accountability.
Indeed, at every point, we have provided factual, accurate and evidence-based information to our Stakeholders on voter statistics per region, district, gender, age among others. To date, every interested Ghanaian has information on the number of persons who registered in the just concluded Voter Registration Exercise based on the information we provided.
It is a paradox, therefore, to suggest that the same Commission now seeks to remove persons from the Voters Register. Had that been the agenda of the Commission, it would not have given detailed information to Stakeholders throughout the Registration process. We assure the General Public that these allegations are unfounded.
For the information of the Public, the Exhibition of the Provisional Voters Register has been provided for in the Law (CI 91). The Law, recognising that a registration process is not full proof, has provided a mechanism called “Exhibition” to allow citizens to verify their details to ensure that they are captured in the register or that their details such as sex, age, name etc. are accurate. The Exhibition also affords Voters the opportunity to correct any errors detected.
Additionally, the Law provides for “inclusion” to allow persons who registered but whose names are not on the register, to file to be included in the register.
This process is not new and has always formed part of our processes.
In a nutshell, the Exhibition Exercise provides an opportunity to Stakeholders to unearth problems with the Register for the purpose of fixing it. This is exactly what the Electoral Commission is doing. We are fixing the issues unearthed.
We assure the Public that the Commission is working to ensure that the margin of error with the Voters Register is negligible.
We are confident that at the end of the process, we will bequeath the nation with a Register that reflects truth and integrity, a Register that is credible and comprises eligible Ghanaians only.
May God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong.
Let Peace Reign.
