The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has announced the official release of the provisional voter register to political parties ahead of the voter register exhibition scheduled for August 20 to August 27, 2024.
At a press conference held at the EC headquarters on Monday, the Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Asare addressed the concerns raised in the media about the delayed release of the provisional voter register.
He clarified that the Commission was still operating within its scheduled timeframe for delivering the register, in accordance with the regulations set forth in CI 31, as amended by CI 126.
“We have heard in sections of the media that the Commission has not given the provisional voter register to the political parties after informing the parties to bring their external drives.
“We want to place on record that per Regulation 22 of CI 31 as amended by CI 126, the Commission is required to give the provisional register to the political parties not later than three months from the end of the registration period”.
Dr Bossman Asare, the Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services
Dr Bossman Asare further elaborated on the timeline, noting that the limited registration process concluded on May 29, 2024, followed by a mop-up registration that ended on August 3, 2024.
According to him, based on the limited registration, the Commission has until the end of August 2024 to give the provisional register to the political parties.
Confirming the availability of the provisional voter register ahead of the Electoral Commission’s exhibition exercise, Dr Bossman Asare pointed out that the external drives containing the provisional voters register are available for pickup.
“We can say from the records that the NDC has collected its external drive. The other parties have also collected,” he affirmed.
Commencement of EC’s Exhibition Exercise
The Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Asare also confirmed that the voter register exhibition exercise, a critical phase where voters can verify their details on the register, will commence on Tuesday, August 20, and conclude on August 27, 2024.
Dr. Asare reiterated the Commission’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process, emphasizing that the EC has put in place mechanisms to address any challenges that may arise during the exhibition exercise.
This period is crucial for the identification and correction of any discrepancies in the voter details before the final register is compiled for the December 7 general elections.
The announcement by the EC comes in the wake of intense scrutiny from various political parties, civil society organizations, and electoral watchdogs.
The delay in releasing the provisional register had earlier sparked concerns about the transparency and efficiency of the EC’s processes, with the opposition National Democratic Congress arguing that the Commission was falling behind schedule, which could potentially impact the credibility of the electoral process.
The NDC, one of the major opposition parties, was particularly vocal about the need for early access to the provisional register.
According to Dr Edward Omane Boamah, the NDC is convinced that the Electoral Commission’s delay in providing the Provisional Voter Register was a result of both gross incompetence and a calculated move to impose a subpar register on political parties within an unreasonably short timeframe.
He further alleged that the Electoral Commission was deliberately delaying the release of the Provisional Voter Register to limit the time available for interested parties to thoroughly review and scrutinize it before the Exhibition commences.
Their prompt collection of the data reflects their commitment to rigorously examine the voter list to ensure that it is free from errors or irregularities that could affect the outcome of the elections.
Despite the criticisms, the EC has maintained that its preparations for the upcoming elections are on track.
The release of the provisional voter register and the upcoming exhibition are key milestones in ensuring a credible and transparent electoral process.
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