A political analyst, Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere, has asserted that the Electoral Commission`s (EC) decision to restrict the limited voter registration exercise to its district and municipal offices across the country has the tendency to undermine the country`s democracy and electoral processes.
He noted that this decision by the EC has left the country`s democracy and electoral processes on the altar of the highest bidder.
The political analyst explained that the restriction of the exercise has given undue advantage to political parties with resources to transport people to registration centers, which has the tendency to influence their voting patterns.
‘‘With the cost involved in getting to registration centers of the EC, I don’t think there will be a human being who is bused to a particular registration center and he or she does not incur any cost and registers. With little exception, that person will automatically vote for the party that bused him or her”.
Dr. Asante anticipated that political parties and individuals who incur the cost of transporting these registrants to registration centers eventually found themselves in government will inflict the prices of contracts in an attempt to accrue their monies back, and this will affect the country as a whole.
He reflected that the country did not just arrive at the Domestic Debt Exchange Program (DDEP) by coincidence but it was triggered out of corruption that emptied the public purse.
This, he noted, coupled with lack of vigilance, malfeasance, and unbridled expenditure, is what has brought the country to where it is today, and it is important that the root causes of these are not allowed to continue.
He said if the ordinary person wants a change or to maintain the status quo, the electoral commission has a mandate as an administrator to provide a conducive atmosphere that will ensure that a citizen who has reached the age of 18 and above is given the opportunity to register and exercise his or her franchise.
The political analyst added that it is not the duty of the EC to put incumbencies in processes that have the tendency to disenfranchise some people as being experienced.
Source:A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Bolgatanga
