The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) is calling for the publication of persons who flouted the electoral laws in the just ended voters’ registration exercise.
According to the CDD, this will serve as a deterrent for others in future exercises.
Speaking on Joy FM’s ‘NewFile’ on the call by the NDC for an independent audit of the voters’ register, Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at CDD, Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante said he does not agree with the call for an independent audit.
He said he agrees with their call for the publication of the persons who flouted the laws during the exercise.
“I don’t think we need an independent audit, there is one aspect of it which I do agree with which was the publication of persons who have done multiple registrations or have breached laws and it goes back to my point about deterrence. We almost have to be deliberate and transparent in prosecuting people who offend the rules and it has to be publicly done so that everybody knows that there is actually coincidences for these kinds of actions otherwise then we will come back to deal with that.”
The National Democratic Congress is demanding an independent audit into the newly compiled voters’ register.
The claims by the opposition party come after the chairperson of the Electoral Commission Jean Mensa revealed that there are still foreigners and minors on the newly created voters’ register.
She, however, said mechanisms put in place by the commission will clean the voter’s roll of the illegal persons on it.
“The Commission is mindful of the infiltration of foreigners at a number of our registration centres. Additionally, we are aware that a number of minors have found their way into the register.
“We are confident that the challenge processes initiated at all districts throughout the country will unearth these illegal persons and rid the register of those who do not qualify to be thereon.”
But speaking at a Press Conference on Thursday, the NDC rejected the claims of the EC. According to the party, it’s impossible for a biometric system to record multiple registrations.
Director of Elections for the NDC Elvis Afriyie Ankrah said that the move by the EC to delete such names are politically motivated.
“The only thing the compilation of the new register has achieved for the NPP is that it has brought untold shame to the party and demolished the propaganda of Akufo-Addo and Bawumia which was echoed by the EC that our voters’ register was bloated.
