Voters’ register forum: EC dismisses NPP’s claims of bias

The Electoral Commission has dismissed claims that the panel that will supervise Thursday’s public hearing on calls for a new voter’s register is biased.

According to the EC, the panel is made-up of eminent people with proven integrity and unmatched track-record.

This comes on the back of complaints from the opposition NPP’s Director of Elections, Martin Adjei Korsah-Mensah, that two members of the panel cannot be trusted to be impartial on the matter.

Former Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Gabby Okyere-Darko, raised similar concerns and called on political parties to boycott the forum.

But speaking in an interview with Citi News, Director of Public Affairs at the EC, Christian Owusu-Parry, said the EC has so far not received any official complaint about the hearing or the panel, and therefore expects all parties to participate.

He emphasized that members of the panel have proven credibility to ensure a fair hearing.

“So far we don’t have any indication that any party is withdrawing from the forum. As we speak now, I am unaware of any official petition against any member of the panel. It hasn’t come to us officially. And I don’t think that the panel members will be biased in anyway. These are people that we believe will do their work with integrity, they will be fair and they will bring transparency to the process.”

“The hearings will be conducted under their supervision and at the end of the day they will bring what they gathered from the forum to the commission for the commission to decide on the way forward.”

He said once the panel reports to the commission, it won’t them too long to take a decision on it.

Meanwhile after days of uncertainty, the NPP has announced it will participate in the forum.

The party’s Director of Elections, Martin Agyjei Mensah-Korsah said the decision was taken after a crunch steering committee on Tuesday.