EC names five-member Voters’ Register panel

The Electoral Commission of Ghana has named a five-man panel to hold a two-day public hearing on the controversial Voters’ Register.

A release by the Commission on Friday evening, signed by the Ag. Director – Public Affairs, Christian Owusu-Parry named members of the panel as His Lordship Professor V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe; Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante; Dr. Grace Bediako, Dr. Nii Narku Quaynor; and Maulvi Bin Salih.
Profiles

His Lordship Professor V.C.R.A.C. Crabbe, Co-Chair of the Coalition for Domestic Election Observers, (CODEO), former Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana, former Professor of Law, and former Electoral Commissioner of Ghana;

Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana and Chairman of the National Peace Council;

Dr. Grace Bediako, a former Government Statistician and former member of the National Development Planning Commission;

Dr. Nii Narku Quaynor, a renowned computer scientist, Chairman of the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) Board of Directors, and President of the Internet Society of Ghana; and
Maulvi Bin Salih, Ameer of the Ahmadiyya Mission of Ghana.

According to the Electoral Commission, the setting up of the panel follows petitions it received and calls from some political parties, civil society groups and a number of Ghanaians for a new voters’ register, with others calling for an audit of the register instead, all with a view to ensuring a credible voters’ register for 2016 and beyond.
“In order to assure a transparent and accountable process for examining and determining the petitions, the EC has assembled a Panel of Eminent Ghanaians to hold a two-day public hearing on the issue. The hearings will take place on Thursday and Friday, the 29th and 30th of October, 2015 at Alisa Hotel, North Ridge, Accra from 10:00hrs to 13:00hrs and 14:00hrs to 17:00hrs daily.
“The Panel of five will conduct the hearings in a free, transparent, fair and objective manner. The hearings will also be broadcast live on radio, television and on the internet for the benefit of Ghanaians who cannot attend but wish to follow the proceedings. The findings and recommendations of the Panel will be presented to the EC for final decision and communication to the public.”
The release requested persons or institutions interested in attending the forum to contact the Ag. Director – Public Affairs for an invitation, saying the schedule for presentations at the forum would be circulated prior to the forum to all who made submissions to the EC and are scheduled to make presentations.
“The EC, in the discharge of its constitutional mandate to run free, fair and credible elections, assures the people of Ghana of its commitment to undertake its solemn duty dispassionately.”