The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has refuted claims made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regarding the timeline for the release of the revised Provisional Voters Register (PVR) for the 2024 general elections.
In a press release signed by Samuel Tettey, the Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations, the EC clarified that the National Democratic Congress’s assertion that the EC promised to deliver the updated PVR within a week is inaccurate.
According to the Commission, it had clearly stated during a televised Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting that the revised PVR would be released within two weeks or earlier.
“For the records, the Chairperson of the EC indicated during the televised IPAC meeting that the Commission would provide the Political Parties with the revised PVR and upload it online within two (2) weeks or earlier. Nowhere in her statement did the Chairperson indicate that the revised PVR would be made available within a week.”
Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman, Operations, Electoral Commission of Ghana
He also underscored that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission’s statement was televised, and attached an unedited video of her remarks for verification.
Commitment to Transparency, Free and Fair Elections
The Commission reiterated its commitment to ensuring transparency in the electoral process, noting that the timeline for the release of the revised PVR was based on logistical and operational considerations.
The Commission emphasized that providing an accurate and up-to-date register is paramount to guaranteeing the integrity of the upcoming elections, scheduled for December 7, 2024.
This clarification from the EC comes amid heightened political tension and scrutiny of the electoral process as Ghana approaches its general elections.
The voter register has consistently been a contentious issue, with opposition parties, including the NDC, raising concerns about the accuracy and transparency of the registration process.
Ensuring that the provisional voters register is error-free is critical to maintaining confidence in the electoral system, and several political parties, particularly the oppositional National Democratic Congress, have in recent times expressed deep concerns over significant issues that it believes could undermine the credibility of the electoral roll.
The NDC’s Functional Executive Committee had earlier issued a statement claiming that the EC had committed to providing the updated voter register to political parties within one week following the IPAC meeting.
The NDC emphasized that it had accepted this commitment and was awaiting the corrected version of the PVR for further scrutiny.
In the latest reminder to the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), through its Director of IT and Elections, Dr Edward Omane Boamah reiterated the party’s demands for accountability following significant revelations about systemic vulnerabilities in the 2024 Provisional Voters Register.
Dr. Boamah, in his remarks, underscored the party’s concerns over potential manipulation of the electoral process ahead of the December 7, 2024, general elections.
The NDC’s IT and Elections Director further reiterated the party’s call for re-exhibition of the updated voters’ register, a process he insisted must be conducted both online and at physical exhibition centres across the country.
He also reaffirmed the party’s demands for an independent multi-stakeholder and interparty audit of the EC’s IT system to identify and rectify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by bad actors to compromise the integrity of the upcoming elections.
“We shall not tolerate anything less than a clean voter’s register,” Dr. Boamah emphasized. He further warned that without this thorough audit, the credibility of the December 7, 2024, presidential and parliamentary elections would remain in jeopardy.
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