EC not compiling new voters register

The Director of Electoral Services Department of the Electoral Commission, Dr Serebour Quaicoe, has asked the general public to disregard claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that a new voter register will be compiled by the commission.

Dr Quaicoe, in an interview on TV3, said the EC was not compiling a new register because the one that was put together for the 2020 polls was most credible.

“We are not compiling a new voters’ register. The one we compiled in 2020 is a credible one, a very good register so we are not dispensing it. But you and I are aware that people have been saying that why don’t you roll out continuous registration so that when somebody turns 18, the person goes to our offices and register,” Dr Quaicoe said.

He explained that the EC sought to come out with a new Constitutional Instrument (CI) after series of Inter-Party Advisory (IPAC) meetings with the political parties.

The opposition NDC’s failure to attend IPAC meetings since 2020, Dr Quaicoe claimed, was the reason for its comments as other political parties had been well informed about the new CI due to their regular participation.

“Obviously, the NDC has not been attending IPAC meetings of late, after 2020 they have not been attending but all the political parties have been attending and they can all attest to the fact that we have taken them through the new CI.

So, what we are saying is that, if people are going to register any day at our district offices, then they need some credible form of identification and it is possible that once it is going to be continuous the political parties will not be there to be guaranteeing or objecting,” he explained.

Dr Quaicoe noted that much emphasis needed to be placed on the acquisition of the Ghana Card, adding that,“We are talking of continuous registration for people who have not registered, we are not using the data from the National Identification Authority (NIA)”.

“So why don’t we emphasise on the Ghana Card so that once you have your Ghana Card, we believe that you might have gone through the screening, so you come to our office with the Ghana Card and we will enrol you onto the register. We are talking of continuous registration for people who have not registered, we are not using the data from the National Identification Authority (NIA),” he stated.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, on Tuesday alleged that the EC was creating a new voter roll for the 2024 general polls.

BY TIMES REPORTER