NDC agents were not prevented at registration centres - EC

The Electoral Commission (EC) has described as untrue reports it prevented some party agents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) from observing the Voters Registration Exercise at the Tepa Senior High School and Prempeh College in the Ashanti Region.

The EC said in line with laid down procedures, it informed all political parties about the planned exercise and requested to have their agents at the centres in the schools.

The Commission, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, (GNA) said in the case of the Tepa Senior High School, it made available 16 kits for the exercise.

It said as part of measures taken by the School to protect the students against COVID-19, the authorities limited the agents for each political party to two, with the consent of the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party.

The Commission said midway through the registration process, the NDC expressed dissatisfaction with the number of their party agents present and, consequently, requested to have an agent monitor each kit.

The EC said the School authorities opposed the idea and called in security officers who restored calm for the continuation of the exercise without any intimidation or assault as alleged.

The Commission said, regarding the registration exercise at the Prempeh College, the agents of the NDC did not show up despite a notice to all political parties about the registration.

It said in the “spirit of transparency and accountability”, the Commission delayed the registration until 1300 hours, five hours after the approved start time of 0700 hours.

The Commission said the representatives of the NDC, however, arrived at the centre at 1700 hours, after 129 out of over 1,000 eligible applicants had been registered.

The statement restated the commitment of the EC to a successful registration exercise and called for the support of all.