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Opinions of Friday, 21 August 2015

Columnist: Smith, Ernest Kojo

EC must listen to the calls of Ghanaians ...

....to have a new voters’ register.

In fact, I have checked, double checked and cross checked about the brouhaha surrounding the call for a new voter’s register. Indeed, I must say that the call is in the right direction and that it behooves on Electoral commission to listen to recommendations put forward by the opposition parties.

If we recall, in the 2012 General elections, total number of registered voters for Presidential were different to that of the Parliamentary elections.

The total number of registered voters that the EC gazette for the Presidential election was 14,158,890 whilst the Parliamentary stood at stood at 13,628,817.

These are some of the errors which need to be corrected to restore confidence in our electoral process. Registered voters, whether Presidential or Parliamentary, must produce the same figure.

In a situation where there is disparity, one may be tempted to conclude that the election results have been schemed to favor a particular candidate or party as was the case in the 2012 General elections.

Frankly, the issue about new voters’ register is a crucial one and that the progress of a country largely depends on the credibility of the Electoral variables.

As I speak, all the opposition parties have agreed that there are anomalies in the register and have even proposed ways of correcting these anomalies.

Meanwhile, the posture of the ruling party is giving Ghanaians an increasing suspicion that the register has been tampered by the ruling government.

I must say as you all aware that the country is in bit shaky and that any one in his right frame of mind would listen to the calls by the opposition parties.

Taking the Supreme court verdict into consideration, the parties are now wise and that 2016 elections might not end up in the court as we withnessed rather a different dimension altogether.

I am told that the EC is meeting all the political parties tomorrow. The commission must place the interest of the citizenry as Ghanaians are yeling for a new voters’ register for the 2016 election.

Long live CAF!

Long Live Ghana!

And God bless us all!

Signed!

Ernest Kojo Smith, a Political Risk Analyst and the Executive Director of CAF
Rubin Kwame Ayisi (Operations)

Motto:To Uphold Integrity and Accountability, the bedrock of a Nation’s Development©