TUC wades into new voters’ register brouhaha

The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has urged all political parties to be measured in their demands on the country’s electoral management body, Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC).

The mother workers’ union said the EC by Article 46 of the 1992 Constitution is independent of any person or authority.

Therefore, the TUC said, any form of opposition to the EC’s programmes should be in a “more diplomatic manner”.

These were contained in a statement issued by Secretary-General Dr Yaw Baah in Accra on Tuesday, March 3.

According to the statement, those opposing the compilation of a new register must present their concerns in the form of advice.

“We are confident that the EC will consider these concerns against the background of its constitutionally mandated responsibility to conduct and supervise all public elections in a free and fair manner.”

This comes in the wake of pressure from six political parties – forming the Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voters Register – for the EC to rescind its decision to compile a new register for the December 7 elections.

The TUC said it has followed all the “arguments and counter-arguments by various political parties about the compilation of a new voters’ register”.

The statement essentially highlighted some of the issues raised by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his message of the state of the nation in Parliament on Thursday, February 20.

The TUC expressed delight that Ghana is gradually drifting from the possibility of going to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance.

They called on all and sundry to consolidate the macroeconomic gains chalked in the past couple of years and help “pursue the President’s vision of Ghana Beyond Aid with the vigour it deserves”.