EC Committee report on voters register a ‘sham’ – LMVCA

The Let My Vote Count Alliance has described as bogus, a sham the report of a five member committee tasked by the Electoral Commission to interrogate the debate for a new voters’ register.

Convener of the group David Asante said the report was biased but they did not expect anything less.

He told Joy News they will be heading to court to overturn the decision by the committee.

The five member committee chaired by Retired Chief Justice VCRAC Crabbe said the arguments for a new register were “unconvincing.”

The Let My Vote Count Alliance as well as the New Patriotic Party were unanimous in their belief that the voters register in its current form was bloated.

The Let My Vote Count Alliance embarked on series of demonstrations, some of which turned violent with members of the Alliance being allegedly manhandled by the police.

The opposition said it had discovered over 70,000 non Ghanaians in the register and must compiled again. But the governing National Democratic Congress insisted there was no point for a new register. At best the party called for the auditing of the existing register to weed out names and persons who were not qualified to be on the register.

In the heat of the controversy the EC organised a two day forum to collate views from all stakeholders in order to take a decision on whether to maintain the register as it is or compile a new one.

Weeks after the forum, the committee submitted its report to the EC on the 31st December, 2015, recommending that the Commission proceed with the current register.

“The Electoral Commission is pleased to inform the general public that it has received the report submitted by the Independent Panel set up by the Commission and tasked to look into the concerns and views of stakeholders on the Voters’ Register. Following the receipt of the report on December 21, 2015, the Commission has concluded its study of the report submitted by the Panel and wishes to advise the public as follows:

“The Panel finds the arguments for a new register unconvincing and therefore does not recommend the replacement of the current voters’ register;

“The Panel is of the view that the responsibility for having a clean and credible register is the shared responsibility of all citizens of Ghana,” the EC issued a statement.

But the Let My Vote Count Alliance is angry with the findings of the Committee.

“This is one of the greatest disappointments in our political history. However we can’t complain much because we expected it to happen.

“We question the neutrality of the panel again because there were eminent and prominent members of that panel who had kicked against the creation of a new voters register.

“We from the very onset knew the committee will certainly do a biased job and they have proved as right.

We find the report appalling, a bogus one and we do not think it will contribute to deepening our democracy. It is a sham,” he said in an interview with Joy News.

He said the fight for a new register has taken a new dimension, adding we are heading to court and will join in the suit already in court two individuals.

He added they will also continue with their street agitations. –