The Electoral Commission (EC) has said media reports that the compilation of the new voters’ register has been cancelled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus are false.
“The Commission wishes to state that the compilation of the New Voter’s Register has not been cancelled. Plans are far advanced for the successful take-off of the registration process,” the EC said in a statement issued on March 17, 2020.
The elections management body said in view of the ban imposed on public gatherings by President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, a new date for the registration will be announced.
The process for the compilation of the new electoral roll was scheduled for April 18, 2020.
“The Commission wishes to assure the general public that it is taking the necessary steps to guarantee the safety of the citizenry and safeguard them from the virus,” the EC said.
It gave the assurance that it will put in place concrete measures including providing sanitisers at all polling stations and providing a conducive atmosphere at all registration centres in a bid to protect citizens from the virus.
“The public is entreated to prepare for the upcoming Voters’ Registration exercise,” the EC stressed.Meanwhile, think tank, IMANI, Africa had previously described the April 18 scheduled for a new voters’ registration exercise as “humanly impossible.”Vice President of the think tank, Bright Simons, said at a forum that the assurances that were given by the election management body to put in place a credible set of new electronic logistics – both hardware and software – to execute the process were untenable.The Commission has for the past few months come under criticism for its decision to ditch the current electoral management system in its bid to improve the process.
SOURCE: myjoyonline.com
