Nothing wrong with EC compiling new register 6 months to election – CDD-Ghana

The Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has stated there absolutely nothing wrong with the Electoral Commission (EC) compiling a new voters' register six months to the general elections.

The co-founder of CDD-Ghana, Professor Baffuor Agyemang-Duah, speaking on the subject in an interview with ABC News said, past electoral commissioners, including Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, have resorted to similar exercises in such time frame prior to an election hence the argument by a number of people on the timing of the move by the commission is untenable.

To him, once the EC will be able to complete the registration in the scheduled time, everyone should let go of their differences and rally behind the Commission.

His comments come on the back of an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on Thursday, January 30, to finalise on arrangements for the compilation of a new voters register. The meeting was also to secure consensus on the process.

It, however, ended in a deadlock after almost 6 hours of deliberations as the various parties were unable to reach the much-needed consensus on the need for a new electoral roll.

A strong argument made by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been the timing of the said process with barely eight months to the general elections [after the EC’s timeline for the compilation], a move the NDC and some civil society group believes will put the EC on a rather tight schedule.

But Professor Agyemang-Duah said the EC can complete the compilation of the register within the time-frame given.

“There is nothing wrong with the EC deciding to do a new registration for elections. In past elections, the electoral commission has made certain critical decisions and implemented them within 6 months to elections. What comes to mind readily is 6 months to election, Afari Djan decided to create new constituencies and was able to do that and organize election and everything went on very well. I think the current EC has given a schedule that they will start registration on April 18 and end in May, according to their schedule, nothing is wrong, they can fulfil that so for me this is not what we should be worried about,” the co-founder of the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) said to ABC News‘ Adwoa Tenkoramaa.

He called on the parties to let “common sense” prevail after the IPAC meeting.

“I believe that all political parties have a common goal which is ensuring the sustenance of peace in this country. All of them have vested interest in that so I think ultimately we will be guided by that believe and the common sense that it pays nobody to wreck what we have constructed over the past 28 years, that is to say, the democratic peace that we have been enjoying these years. Today’s meeting I hope that common sense and sanity will prevail and all the stakeholders to come to a consensus that we need to move forward,” he noted.