The Electoral Commission of Ghana earlier today commenced a pilot registration exercise across it’s sixteen (16) regional offices ahead of the compilation of new voter’s register towards this year’s December 7 Parliamentary and Presidential elections.
Ever since the electoral commission announced their intention to compile a new voter’s register this year, the largest opposition political party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other civil society organizations opposed it vehemently.
In the latest development, the Volta Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr. George Loh was spotted earlier today participating in the Electoral Commission’s piloting or demonstration exercise ahead of the new voter’s register exercise.
According to the information picked on the ground by Coverghana.com.gh, the former member of parliament for North Dayi Mr. George Loh was at the venue where the piloting took place from the beginning until the end of the exercise.
Our sources also revealed that, he went through all the stages to acquired a demonstration Voter’s ID Card, an exercise which was largely opposed by his party.
Soon after the exercise, some New Patriotic Party (NPP) members in the Volta Region accused the National Democratic Congress for displaying double standards by allowing their Regional Vice Chairman to participate in the EC’s piloting exercise since they have rejected the plan to compile a new register.
They also added that, the NDC who disagreed with EC’s new voter’s register and even went to court for an injunction on EC’s activities and therefore cannot be trusted for gross display of incompetent and misleading Ghanaians.
Below is a Facebook post of Mr. Elikem Sewordor, an NPP constituency executive who disclosed the incident.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2981272591941682&id=100001769123773
Below is another post spotted on NPP Ho constituency Facebook page.
https://m.facebook.com/NPPHoCentralConstituency/photos/pcb.2991012527650088/2990999820984692/?type=3&source=48
In an interview with Mr. Sorkpa K. Agbleze, the Volta Regional Communications Officer with the chief editor of Coverghana.com.gh, he rubbished the claims of the NPP footsoldiers and their executives in the region.
According to him, the reason why their Vice Chairman participated in the EC’s piloting exercise was to authenticate and verify claims that the old Biometric Verification Devices are not working, hence the decision for Mr. George Loh to go through the demonstration to monitor the activities of the Electoral Commission to disprove their claim.
In addition, he noted that, Mr. George Loh actually participated in the EC’s piloting to disprove EC’s claims that, the old Biometric Verification Devices (BVD) are not working meanwhile, from what we have observed, the machines used are not different from the old BVD.
Adding to that, he said, the exercise was a demonstration to see if the EC will be able to compile a new voter’s register or not and anybody can go through the exercise.
To justify Mr. Loh’s presence at EC’s regional office, the party weeks ago requested for the limited registration training manual, because they hold a view that, Ghana needs a limited registration exercise and not an entirely new register, and any action by the EC to do limited registration, the party will participate in such a process.
Speaking on behalf of the Volta Regional NDC Secretariat, Mr. Agbleze said, the NDC wants a limited registration exercise for Ghanaians who are 18 years and above but don’t have a Voter’s ID card not a new voter’s register. “The people of Ghana want a change of government not a change of voter’s register.” He said.
In his concluding statement, he said, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) still holds the view that, the new voter’s register is needless, and a waste of resources among others.
“We still stand by our earlier words of opposing the compilation of the new voter’s register, an exercise to disenfranchise innocent Ghanaians. A vibrant and reasonable political party should be interested in every activities of the EC, and we are going to oppose the new register with every constitutional means at our disposal. There is nothing wrong to participate in EC’s piloting exercise since we want concrete and solid evidences as to why Ghanaians should oppose the new register which will make a lot of us rendered non Ghanaian, when we allow the process to take place.” He clarified.
READ ALSO: New Voter’s Register: EC begins Pilot Registration at all Regional Offices
