A Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr O. B. Amoah has deflated the arguments of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the new voters’ register.
Speaking on UTV’s ‘Critical Issues’ on Saturday, the Deputy Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Akuapem South, responded to Afriyie Ankrah’s news conference on the registration exercise, calling for external audit of the Voters’ Register
He wondered why any political party will make such a request in the midst of the registration process.
According to him, the demand by the NDC is a very devious attempt to destabilise the registration process, particularly when the Electoral Commission (EC) is mandated to publish a provisional register for exhibition during which objections could be made to the inclusion or omission of names in the register.
Mr O. B Amoah explained that such objections will definitely have to be justified before a District court and on appeal to a High court.
“There’s also elaborate process for de duplication of multiple registration, which requires the involvement of major political parties.
“There’s no legal basis for the involvement of external auditors, whatever that means, in the work of the EC,” he reiterated.
Mr O. Amoah indicated that it is after all the processes spelt out in the Registration of Voters Regulations, C. I. 91, have been taken that a CERTIFIED REGISTER of voters is produced for the elections.
“It is unfortunate that the NDC will resort to such unconventional methods and requests to discredit the registration process.
“It is really irresponsible for the NDC to suggest that the EC is out to delete names of persons from particular ethnic groups from the register,” Mr O. Amoah noted.
A former NDC National Organiser, Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan when called to respond, claimed they do not trust the EC and their call for audit was to express their opinion on the registration process.
Other panellists representing Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD Ghana) and the National Peace Council, Nana Mensah Abrompa and Mr. Amo respectively also rejected the position of the NDC in demanding an external audit when the Regulations on registration have in built mechanisms for auditing the process.
