The National Women Organiser of the New Patriotic Party, Kate Gyamfua, has asked all women groups within the party and members of the women’s wing to go to their respective constituencies to support in mobilisation party faithful for the ongoing voters’ registration exercise.
“This is not time for fun-fair. This is not the time to be moving from one constituency or region to the other. This is the time that every woman must get to her polling station and constituency to work in mobilisation of party people to register,” Ms Gyamfua said in an exclusive interview with the Daily Statesman yesterday.
According to her, with all the issues raised by the opposition National Democratic Congress against the EC, members of the NPP have to be extra vigilant in monitoring the exercise.
“When you sit in Accra or say you are going to someone’s constituency to help, you may not know everybody or anybody there. Before you realise, you will be sending illegitimate people to the voting centres. That is why we want everybody to go to her polling station, her electoral area, her constituency, that is where you know the people, that is where you can help to get the right people out to register and be able to challenge illegal people,” she said.
The NPP women organiser said she would go to Akwatia to register and monitor the exercise from there. “We don’t have to sit here at the office; I am going to my constituency to register. I will later be doing some monitoring in the Eastern Region. I have asked all women organisers and identifiable female groups to do same,” she added.
Registration
Registration for a new voters’ register ahead of the 2020 general election began across the country yesterday. This followed a green light given to the nation’s election management body by the Supreme Court to go ahead and compile the register, complying with Articles 42 and 45 of the Constitution and the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 C.I. 126.
The exercise will last for 38 days, and is taking place at 33,367 polling stations across the country.
Some 44, 000 registration officers have been recruited for the exercise, and have been made to sign an oath to bear true allegiance to the principles underlying the conduct of the registration exercise.
According to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, the Ghana Health Service has released some 7,000 health personnel for the exercise.
The health personnel, according to her, will help in ensuring that the necessary safety protocols are adhered to at the various registration centres.