‘Do a clean job to maintain peace, unity’

Mr Joseph Kwadwo Afari Yeboah, an aspiring General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), has implored the Electoral Commission (EC) to dialogue with all stakeholders on the upcoming new voter registration to safeguard the peace being employed in the country.

He said it was only when there was a consensus and peace that the purpose of compiling a new voter register and that of the 2020 general elections could be held.

In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, Mr Yeboah appealed to the commission to ensure that every Ghanaian who qualified, registered to enable them to exercise their franchise.

“There has been friction between the EC, civil society organisations and some political parties on as to the need to compile a new register, cost, procurement and also the type of identification needed by people to register,” it said.

“The Commission must not take an entrenched position as has been done but must engage the opposing party to reach an amicable solution.”

The statement said should there be an agreement among stakeholders to conduct the registration of voters, all Covid-19 safety protocols should be observed just as the Commission had outlined to be observed at the centres.

It noted that the Commission must ensure that only 25 people, including registration officials, would be permitted at the registration centre at any given time and it would be compulsory to wear a nose mask before entering a registration centre.

The statement said the temperature of people would be taken, provision of water and liquid soap for handwashing before one could join a queue.

It said, to ensure safety, the Commission’s officials should be sanitised with alcohol wipes before the fingerprints of people were captured after, and those whose details had been captured would also be provided with hand sanitisers to clean their hands before leaving the registration centres.

The statement urged the security agencies, especially the Ghana Police Service, to initiate a public engagement to assure the electorates of its preparedness to maintain law and order before, during and after the electoral process.

GNA