NDC and other parties demonstrate in Accra against new voters’ register

By Kodjo Adams, GNA

Accra, Feb 4, GNA - Members of the Inter-Party Resistance against the New Voter Register on Tuesday held its third demonstration in Accra to disapprove the compilation of the new voters’ register for the December elections.

The first and second demonstrations were held in Tamale and Kumasi respectively. The members were clad in red t-shirts, head and hand bands, and placards with various inscriptions including “No new register”, “New voters register is needless” and “Don’t waste money on new voters register”.

The group is made up of the opposition National Democratic Congress, the People’s National Convention (PNC), All Peoples Party (APP) and some smaller parties in the country.

They marched from the Kawukudi Park to the El-wak Stadium through to the cantonment, to the Jubilee House and finally reconvened at the Electoral Commission’s (EC) headquarters.

Mr Bernard Mornah, the PNC Chairman who presented a petition to Mr Lawrence Sarpong, the Acting Director in charge of Administration, EC said the Commission had not given any acceptable reason for the compilation of a new voters' register.

He said the existing voters' register was credible and that the taxpayers’ money should not be used to compile a new voters’ register.

Mr Monah called on all to join the group to resist any attempt by the EC and the government to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 elections.

Dr Hassan Ayariga, founder, All Peoples Party was of the view that the exercise was needles since the existing voters' register had been recently used to elect Assembly and Unit Committee members across the country.

He added that the same old voters’ register was used to elect the current President, hence, the register could not be described as unfit for the 2020 elections.

The EC believes that the integrity of the 2020 polls could be undermined if a new roll and a new Biometric Voter Management System are not put in place.

In a statement, the EC said: “The current kits and solutions are obsolete: They have reach end of life” and can no longer be supported by their Original Equipment Manufacturers.

Mr Sam George, a member of the Group refuted the assertions from EC and said a new register with 10 months to the general election was only an attempt by the EC to manipulate the voters’ register for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Parliament has approved GH¢390 million as the EC’s budget for the exercise.

Others leading members at the demonstration included Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, NDC National Chairman; Mr Ade Coker, NDC Greater Accra Regional Chairman; Mr Johnson Asiedu Nkietiah, NDC General Secretary; and other party sympathizers.

GNA

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