Publish names of persons removed from voter roll to avert chaos – Mahama to EC

The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr John Mahama has charged the Electoral Commission (EC) to publish names of persons that have been removed from the voters register to prevent chaos on election day.

With barely four weeks to the December elections, the EC made an announcement that names persons who engaged in multiple registrations or were challenged and not cleared by the various district review committees had been removed from the electoral roll.

The decision by the Jean Mensa-led EC has been criticised by many, including civil society group Care for Free and Fair Elections Ghana (CARE Ghana) which demanded that the EC furnish it with details of the thirty thousand (30,000) persons.

Adding to the numerous calls to get the EC to do the right thing is former President John Mahama who believes the beauty of the polls could be marred when some persons get to the polling stations only to realize their names were expunged from the voter list at their blind side.

“They’ve not published the 30,000 names yet, that is not the way to go. the EC must publish the names that have been removed from the register before they waste time to go to the polling stations,” Mahama said in an interview on Abusua FM in Kumasi. “The situation can bring about chaos.”

Commenting on his earlier warning to the EC that he will not accept flawed election results, Mr Mahama said “If an election will be up to standard, I depend on what happens before and on the day,” and added if the election process is not fair then the outcome will be flawed.

“What they [the NPP] did in Ayawaso West they should not try that again but if they do that and there is chaos, the elections would be a flawed one,” Mahama stated and mentioned that when there are incidents of stealing of ballot boxes in strongholds of the opposition party, it will also amount to flawed elections.

EC’s Response

But the EC has rejected calls to publish the names that had been deleted from the country’s voters’ register for the December 7 general elections.

The Director of Elections at the EC, Dr. Serebour Quarcoo has revealed the electoral management body will not oblige to the request.

In an interview with Citi FM, Dr Quarcoo said, “If you registered more than once, you know you have more than one ID card, you yourself you know you have registered more than once and I shouldn’t tell you. I don’t need to publish your name before you know.”

Meanwhile, the EC is deploying seventy-four thousand, eight hundred brand new biometric verification devices to be used in the conduct of the December 7 polls.