Arrest and prosecute persons registering minors and foreigners – EC to police

The Electoral Commission (EC) has urged the Ghana Police Service to arrest individuals registering minors and foreigners in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.

Deputy Chair of the Commission, Dr. Bossman Asare during a press briefing on Monday, May 13, emphasized the importance of safeguarding the integrity of the country’s voter register, and that any attempts to tamper with it must be addressed swiftly.

He stressed that, only eligible individuals should be allowed to register to vote.

The EC Deputy Chair believes prosecuting anyone found engaging in such illegal registration activities will deter future attempts to compromise the integrity of the process.

He contends that, the EC remains vigilant in ensuring that only eligible citizens participate, reinforcing the principles of democracy and electoral fairness in Ghana.

”We continue to receive reports that minors and non-Ghanaians are being encouraged by certain persons who are members of political parties to register as voters. The Commission has seen a report from the Western Region specifically in Mpohor where some two persons who allegedly facilitated the registration of five minors have been apprehended by the Police. We wish to use this opportunity to urge parents especially to dissuade their children who are less than 18 years old from registering as voters.

“Similarly, we beseech the national leadership of the political parties to discourage their executives in the regions and the constituencies from transporting minors and foreigners to the registration centers. The objective of the Commission as always has been to have a credible register for the 2024 elections.

“We believe the political parties, as the main stakeholders in the general elections, must be dedicated to supporting a credible register as well. Consequently, we find attempts by parties to support the registration of minors and foreigners completely unacceptable and aimed at undermining the country’s electoral democracy. We urge the Police to apply the laws on those who have been apprehended to serve as a deterrent to others in the enterprise of facilitating the registration of minors and foreigners,” Dr. Bossman Asare said.

Meanwhile, the EC revealed as of Sunday, May 12, 2024, it had registered a total of 251,149 new voters, representing a daily average of 45,000.

Out of the total figure, a total of 135,898 (54.11 percent) of the registered voters are females, and 115,251 (45.89 percent) are males.