Senior lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana (UG), Dr. Asah Asante, has expressed surprise over the Electoral Commission’s insistence on restricting the ongoing limited voter registration exercise to its district offices.
This is despite the numerous challenges that have plagued the exercise, with people traveling long distances to access the centers. Some individuals have even been compelled to spend the night at the centers in order to secure a spot on the voters’ roll in a timely manner.
The exercise, now in its sixth day, has also been marked by system breakdowns, a phenomenon the commission assured prior to the exercise that it did not anticipate due to the thorough preparation it claimed to have done to ensure the machines were in good condition.
Speaking on the Morning Starr with Francis Abban, Dr. Asah Asante warned that more citizens would be disenfranchised if the election management body did not revise its current approach.
“I am not happy with the process, a lot of people are likely to be disenfranchised if the status quos remains because that’s not the way to go. My surprise also stems from the fact that all advice, all wise counsel has fallen on deaf ears of the Electoral Commission.
“I think this is not the way to go. If you listen to stories from potential people who have to register for the exercise, there are distances that they have to cover and all manner of challenges. So I believe that it is important for the EC to do the needful to make sure that we get all the people who have turned the legal age of voting to be able have their names in the roll.
He continued: “It is an important exercise when we are talking about voter registration exercise, because that really gives you the legal rights that are required to be able to vote. It is an important index for free and fair elections. Without it you create problems of trust, you create problems of confidence and general problems that contribute to democratic enterprise.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
