General News of Saturday, 16 July 2016

Source: starrfmonline.com

No NHIS card registrant voted in Abetifi by-election - EC

Voting at Abetifi Voting at Abetifi

The Electoral Commission has said no National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card registrant in the Voters’ Register was allowed to vote in the Abetifi by-election.

The Supreme Court had ordered the Electoral Management Body to expunge such names in the electoral roll of which the EC has complied by deleting the over 56, 000 registrants.

According to the EC, “We currently do not have any records on our electoral database of anyone in the Abetifi Constituency who registered with the NHIS card in 2012.

“So it cannot be accurate that the deleted NHIS card registrants are being allowed to vote in the ongoing by-election in Abetifi.”

However, it said they are “still expecting anyone who has such record to make it available to the Commission during the 2016 Voter's Register exhibition exercise which is scheduled to start on Monday 18th July, 2016.”

“Once again we would like to entreat the media to verify such claims with the Commission's appointed Spokespersons before proceeding to publish or broadcast,” a statement from the Communications outfit of the EC said.

The people of Abetifi Constituency in the Eastern region are voting to elect a new Member of Parliament following the passing of the previous lawmaker.