Some Ghanaian minority parties led by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday demonstrated against moves by the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voters’ register ahead of the 2020 general election.
The demonstrators held placards some of which read, “We Need Jobs, Not New Register”, “Don’t Touch Our Cherished Voters’ Register”, “Don’t Destroy Our Democratic Credibility”, “EC Must Let Cool Heads Prevail”, “Ghana Must Speak”, amongst others.
Clad in red and black attire, the demonstrators having made a procession through some principal streets of Ghana’s second largest city, later converged at the Jubilee Park, where they were addressed by the leaders.
Mr. Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, General-Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), stated that any attempt to create a new register will be a recipe for disaster since it has the potential to generate misunderstanding amongst the people.
The current register, he said, was untainted having been used successfully in all previous major national polls, urging the EC to rescind any decision or attempts to compile a new one.
Mr Asiedu-Nketiah, added that the compilation of a new voters’ register, “could plunge the nation into political turmoil.”
“The inter-party coalition is advising the EC to listen to the voice of the people and resolve to soften its stance for peace to prevail,” he insisted.
Beacon of hope
The about four-hour demonstration involved the NDC, United Front Party (UFP), People’s National Convention (PNC), Progressive People’s Party (PPP), All People’s Congress (APC), United Progressive Party (UPP) EGLE Party and Convention People’s Party (CPP).
Mr. Bernard Mornah, of the PNC, said the nation had for sometime now served as a beacon of hope for most politically embattled African countries due to her enviable record as a democratic country.
The EC, he said, should as such not make any move likely to affect the political stability of the nation.
“We are all partners in development. The EC should do due diligence in the decision to compile a new voters’ register, because posterity will judge us if our actions lead to chaos,” he stated.
Nana Agyenim Boateng, Founder of the UFP, warned that the inter-party coalition would continue to hit the streets until the EC rescinded its decision.
Insults
Regretably, what was supposed to be a civil, peaceful protest, turned into an orgy of hurling insults at the persons of key figures at the EC, the President and other leading members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Members of the NDC and their cohorts from other minority parties used the Kumasi demonstration to rain unprovoked insults on the chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Mensa, and Dr Bossman Asare, a deputy chair of the EC, describing them as “THE TWO FOOLS.”
That unpalatable description was boldly captured as an inscription on one of the placards carried by the protestors.
