The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency says the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is solidly in bed with the electioneering body, the Electoral Commission following it (NPP) strong position, backing the commission for the compilation of new voters register for the 2020 general elections.
Speaking on Morning Ride on Friday, the NDC Constituency Communication team member, Godwin Amoah alleged that the New Patriotic Party is conniving with the Electoral Commission (EC) to rig the December 7 Parliamentary and Presidential elections.
His statement has come in less than 24 hours when an astute Ghanaian journalist, Mr Kwesi Pratt came public that he believes government is behind the move to change the voters’ register.
Referencing calls by the then-opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for a new register to be compiled prior to the 2016 general elections, Mr Pratt said the decision has everything to do with the party which is now in power.
The Electoral Commission’s decision to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 polls, has shocked the editor-in-chief of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt.
In the anticipation of the NDC communicator Godwin Amoah, there is a danger looming ahead, following the EC’s position to compile a new voters’ register despite oppositions from civil society groups including Centre for Democratic Development (CDD).
The Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) says “there is no need for a new voters’ register” after cautioning the Electoral Commission to be careful not to plunge the country into chaos over its decision to compile a new voters’ register.
The position of the CDD is that, Ghana is holding a population and Housing census in March 2020 which means the EC would have to wait for that exercise to conclude to have Ghana’s new population data in order to plan for their new register, by which time it will be too late.
But, the equivocal former Eastern regional Women’s Organizer hopeful for the NPP, Mercy Amo Darkoah slammed the NDC as still in the state of the 2016 election defeat dream, thus their opposition to the new voters’ register.
She however debunked the allegation that the NPP is conniving with the EC to ring the election to their favour.
Mercy Amo Darkoah has queried if the National Democratic Congress during it reign in government had used the Electoral Commission for elections that went in its favour.
She cautioned the NDC to accept and support the new voters register since it opposition cannot withhold the electoral commission from going ahead with the exercise.
Thirteen political parties this porter has gathered to have thrown their weight behind the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voters’ register for this year’s parliamentary and presidential elections, and called on all other political parties to support the EC in its quest to deliver credible elections.
According to the parties, the EC had made a solid justification for a new register in terms of cost, time and credibility, hence their decision to support the commission to compile the new register.
This was made known at a press briefing in Accra Thursday, January 9, 2020 to state their case.
The Spokesperson for the parties and Leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Mr Kofi Akpaloo, said: “We are a coalition of political parties for ‘YES’ to a new register because the justification for the new register by the EC is very clear.”
The 13 parties which are in favour of the EC’s compilation of a new voters register and represented at the press conference were the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by Mr John Boadu, its General Secretary; the LPG, represented by Mr Akpaloo, and the People’s National Convention (PNC), represented by Mr Haruna Asante.
The National Democratic Party (NDP), the United People’s Party (UPP) and the Democratic People’s Party were represented by Alhaji Kwame Frimpong, Mr Emmanuel Ackom and Mr Tweneboa Kodua, respectively.
The Convention People’s Party (CPP), the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), the New Vision Party (NVP), the Yes People’s Party (YPP), the United Love Party (ULP) and the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), which are part of the ‘Yes’ group, also had representatives at the media briefing.
The current voters’ register was compiled in 2012 by Dr Kowdo Afari Gyan under an NDC regime. It was used to conduct two general elections, two District Level Elections and a referendum in some regions in the country.
Source: ritefmonline.org/Rite 90.1FM
