Jean Menssa, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission
Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) has postponed the impending voters’ registration, which was originally scheduled to start across the country on April 18, as a result of the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
This was disclosed yesterday by Dr Serebour Quaicoe, EC’s Director of Electoral Services, after an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting.
He added that the EC will be working with other stakeholders to come out with another suitable date.
“We had planned to do the registration on the 18th but because of the pandemic, we can’t do it on the 18th. So, we are observing what is happening around Ghana and the global issue…so, when it gets to a time that we think the situation is fertile for us to commence with the registration, then we can do it,” he told the media.
Dr Quaicoe said the Commission is “feverishly” putting in place its plans, adding, “The software for the new register is almost ready. They are waiting for the hardware.”
IPAC meeting
Yesterday’s IPAC meeting was organised in two sets. This was in compliance with the social distancing directive announced by the President, as part of measures to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) had earlier opted out of the meeting. Fifteen political parties were invited by the EC to attend the IPAC meeting.
It indicated in a notice to the parties that there would be two separate meetings, as the political parties had been divided into two groups.
The letter signed by EC’s Deputy Chairman in charge of Corporate Affairs, Dr Bossman Eric Asare, said the first group would be made up of NPP, NDC, CPP, PPP, PNC, LPG, GCPP and GUM. The next group comprised EGLE, UFP, GFP, NDP, APC, UPP and PUP.
In opting out of the meeting, he NDC said it did not “see how any meaningful meeting can be held to achieve consensus on any matter”, with the new arrangement.
“We take note of your new arrangement for parties to be represented by just one (1) person for the IPAC meeting and the arrangements that the same meeting will be divided into two groups, because of the directives of the President on social gathering following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the NDC said in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
“The situation is even worse when the agreed representation of each party is reduced from three to one,” the NDC added.
Source: Daily Statesman
