The ongoing Biometric Voter Registration Exercise - The Political Parties' Perspective

Major Political Parties on Saturday resolved to inject enthusiasm into the on-going Biometric Voter Registration exercise to ensure that, all eligible Ghanaians register to participate in Election 2012.

In separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and the Peoples National Convention (PNC) noted the urgent need to marshal all eligible voters to participate.

Mr George Lawson, a Deputy NDC General Secretary said the party will increase its public education on the exercise as “the registration process serves as the first step towards winning Election 2012”.

He said: “We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that our members massively register especially in our strong holds”.

He also advised the party agents to be vigilant and cooperate with electoral officials for the compilation of a credible voter’s register, “as the credibility of Elections is hinged directly to the credibility of the electoral roll”.

Mr Lawson caution against intimidation and minors attempting to register, stressing that it was an offense to engage or encourage a minor to participate in the Biometric Voter Registration exercise.

Mr Michael A. N. N. Oquaye, a leading member of the NPP called for total transparency and strict adherence to all the registration requirements. “We must make sure that nobody is disenfranchised”.

He expressed concern about the time-span of the daily registration process, saying “EC's timetable on the exercise indicates that registration will start from 07:00 hours to 18:00 daily, but some Registration Officers claim the exercise ends at 17:00 hours. We need to be clear about the time”.

He said the party will issue periodic position paper on the exercise, to bring out challenges its field officers encounter and make the appropriate recommendations to the EC.

Mr Oquaye also advise all potential applicants to exercise restraint in case of any challenges. “The protection of national peace starts from today...we must all work towards a peaceful exercise”.

Michael Kwabena Ampong, NPP Greater Accra Regional Director of Communication touched on the allegation that the Electoral Commission, had added many new Registration Centres without notifying the party.

He said the development had led to the NPP’s inability to put up party agents who are adequately prepared to effectively monitor the registration exercise.

Mr Bernard Anabataayela Mornah, PNC General Secretary who spoke to the Ghana News Agency from the Upper West region, expressed concern about the lack of enthusiasm and the distances between the registration centres in that region.

He said the registration centres are far off, which will be a dis-insensitive to people especially the elderly in walking the long distance to registration centres, he called on the EC to do something about it.

Mr Mornah also attributed the operational challenges of first day to poor publicity and called on the EC and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to redouble their public education campaign across the country.

He said the two bodies must increase visibility on the biometric voter registration exercise to enable the nation to benefit from the huge investment in the process.

Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreen, CPP General Secretary said the party was monitoring the exercise in about 200 Constituencies across the country with a coordinating centre at the party’s headquarters in Accra.

He said the party would continue to cooperate with all democratic forces to ensure that the EC compiled a credible voters register.

He directed all CPP national, regional, and constituency executives to mobilise and encourage people to register.**