Movement supports new voters’ register for 2020 election

The Concerned Voters Movement, a non-governmental organization has supported the decision of the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voters’ register as enshrined in Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution.

A Statement signed by Mr Razak Kojo Opoku, Founder and President of the Movement and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the arguments by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) and Inter-Party Resistance against the New Voters Register (IPRAN) were misleading.

The statement said, the arguments of timelines, cost and rigging as the basis for the rejection of the New Voters’ Register by the NDC, CDD, IPRAN and others could be best described as intellectual dishonesty.

It said the EC under the NDC administration in 2012 compiled a New Voters Register between the period of April to May and created additional 45 Constituencies bringing the total to 275 for the 2012 general election.

The statement said the New Patriotic Party under those circumstances as the largest opposition Party then never objected to the compilation of the 2012 New Biometric Voters Register and the creation of additional 45 Constituencies within the election year 2012.

It said, for the avoidance of doubt, the 1992 Voters Register was used for nine years, before it was changed 2004.

"The 2004 Voters Register was also used for eight years before it was changed and now the 2012 Voters Register is eight years old and it is about to be changed. Under no material time has the Country's Voters Register been used for 10 years before it was changed".

The statement described the argument of cost by NDC, CDD, IPRAN and others as sub-standard and that Mrs Charlotte Osei, former EC Boss under the John Mahama's administration spent GHC487,998,714.00 for just a Limited Registration Exercise in 2016.

It said Mrs Jean Mensa, the current EC Boss under Akufo-Addo's administration is to spend a Parliamentary approved budget of GHC390, 265,186.44 for a completely New Voters Register ahead of the 2020 General Elections.

The statement on the argument of election rigging said largely confirms the perception that the NDC rigged the 2012 General Elections with the New Voters Register and the creation of the 45 additional constituencies.

The statement said in 2016, the NPP were advocating for a New Voters Register, which was then against by NDC and yet the NPP won the 2016 General Elections.

It said the compilation of the 2020 New Voters Register would help the EC to avoid the payment of over $400,000,000 as the annual maintenance fee for the EC Data Centre, avoid the expensive payments for updating the obsolete Data Centre, refurbishing of obsolete BVR Kits and upgrading of obsolete BVDs.

"It would also successfully generate new Codes for the various Polling Stations within the newly created six regions and the various constituencies within these new regions and implement the Representation of the People's Amendment Act (ROPAL) as ruled by the Supreme Court of Ghana".