CODEO launches Report on the voters' registration

Accra, Aug. 19, GNA - The recording of details of registrants, influencing the registration of minors, application of indelible ink on registrants have been noted to be some of the irregularities committed by party agents in the recently held voters' registration exercise. "There was also the report of some polling stations recording the presence of more than the expected number of political party agents needed to be present," said Sheikh Arimiyawu Shaibu, Advisory Board Member of Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO). Addressing the press on Tuesday on a report compiled by CODEO based on reports by its Field Officers (FO) on the recently held limited voters' registration, he noted that there were reports of registrants improperly paying fees to enable them to get photographs or the lamination of their cards.

"Registrants paid commercial operators GHC 2.00 for photographs and GHC 1.00 for lamination."

According to the report there were isolated violent incidents at some registration centres and also mob violence, which allegedly led to the firing of gunshots by an unidentified man at Moshie Zongo and Changli, centres in Tamale North.

On voter education, the report indicated that it was extremely weak and that the presence of National Commission for Civic Education was largely absent or had minimal impact at the electoral areas. "While generally publicity about the exercise improved with time, the messages communicated about the registration procedures tended to be unclear and, in some cases, confusing to the public hence some people going to registration centres with the aim of voting or replacing missing voter cards or transfer of votes."

According to the report, the number of eligible voters who were still waiting to register at the time the exercise officially closed indicated that potential voters would be disenfranchised in the December elections.

It lauded the professionalism with which most electoral officials administered the registration of voters, special arrangements granted to persons with disability by the Electoral Commission and the mobilization of potential voters by the political parties. CODEO urged the EC to adopt the practice of "open registration" or "continuous registration" to forestall most of the unpleasant problems associated with voter registration.