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EC must focus on what’s Important and Not what’s Convenient – Prof. Mike Oquaye

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Former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Ocquaye has asked the Electoral Commission to address pertinent issues with regards to electoral reforms rather than shifting attention by embarking on an inspection of constituency offices of political parties.

This remark comes in at a period when the Electoral Commission is considering to bar political parties from participating in next year’s elections if they do not meet the requirement of having an appreciable nationwide presence.

Speaking on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East show Wednesday, Prof. Mike Ocquaye said although it is constitutional for every political party to be present in most constituencies, the most pertinent issue in the country at the moment is the need for electoral reforms especially the need for a new voters’ register.

He said the commission had a whole year and has more years ahead to do the inspection of constituency offices and that it was of no importance currently as the need for the implementation of electoral reforms should be paramount especially the need for a new voters’ register.

“Yes it is a requirement and the political parties are expected meet them. They sat there for 365 days and they have more days ahead of them to visit these constituencies. I am saying there is something that is vital and crucial facing the nation today for which we formed a committee on it. All the political parties agree that the voters’ register is flawed and that is what the EC should look at. The issue is what should be done with the flawed register?” he said.

He lamented the lack of allocation for the voters’ register in the electoral commission’s budget presented to the parliament for approval saying “what is even more frightening is, you put a budget before parliament and that budget does not contain matters relating to the voters’ register. So you begin to ask, is that a move to sidestep such important matter. Anyone who does this does not have the betterment of the country at heart.”

Prof. Mike Oquaye also questioned the modus operandi of the manual verification which he said is not enough to settle the nagging issue of persons not being able to vote as a result of rejection by the verification machine.

He called on the commission to prioritize in its dealing the most important issue to address is implementation of electoral reforms stating that “it is good to do what is important than what is convenient”.

He reiterated his call for a West Africa electoral commission which he believes will put to rest the issue of people of other nationalities voting in Ghana.

By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA


 

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