New Register: Blame yourself not EC - Sammi Awuku to NDC

Sammi Awuku has asked the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to blame themselves and not the Electoral Commission (EC) for the situation they currently find themselves in.

The NPP National Organiser holds the view that the largest opposition party shortchanged itself.

He believes had the NDC encouraged their members to fully participate in the registration when the National Identification Authority first started the exercise; they will not be worried about the number of people likely to be disenfranchised.

He was reacting to the brouhaha surrounding the compilation of the New Voters' Register and the opposition party's assertion that the use of only the Ghana card and passport for the registration exercise - excluding NHIS card and driver's licence holders - is an indirect way of causing people to lose their right to vote.

"The NDC is setting a dangerous precedent and gradually they will send themselves to the slaughterhouse...when we starting registering for the NIA card, the NDC asked their supporters not to participate but their MPs, the former President registered; now because of that earlier position they took, they feel that they didn't encourage many of their supporters to register so if the NIA card becomes means of identification, their numbers will be limited. But who cause am? he queried while speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s morning show 'Kokrokoo'.

The Electoral Commission has laid before Parliament to amend Constitutional Instrument (C.I) 91 to use only the Ghana card and the passport for the registration exercise, which means NHIS card and driver's licence holders are not eligible to register their names except they provide the two legitimized documents.

The EC has justified their decision saying their approach will help to eliminate unqualified names and ensure a credible register.