The Dean of Presiding Members in the Upper East Region, John Apaabey, has indicated that the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to register new entrants into the voter register at its district offices across the country is problematic.
According to Mr. Apaabey, Presiding Member for the Builsa South District Assembly, the conduct of the exercise in district offices will disadvantage registrants from distant communities, lower the interest of registrants, and ultimately not yield the desired outcome of the exercise.
This, he bemoaned, would also give undue advantage to politicians to benefit from the inconvenience created by aiding new entrants throughout the registration process. Mr. Apaabey expressed fear that the politicians would then be able to influence their decisions in the upcoming district-level elections.
He made these assertions when he spoke to Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Daybreak Upper East Show following the announcement of the limited voter registration exercise.
It would be recalled that the EC announced on August 17, 2023, that the voter’s registration exercise for individuals who have turned 18 years old will commence on Tuesday, September 12 to Monday, October 2, 2023, and will be conducted at all 268 district offices across the country.
The EC said it will, however, charge GH10 for the replacement of voter’s identification cards (ID).
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensah, also indicated that the Commission was hoping to register 1,350,000 new voters by the close of the registration exercise this year.
The dean, however, noted the exercise may not yield the intended outcome due to the inconvenience it presents.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Ghana
