NPP Warns EC As Sulley Takes Over

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has cautioned against any attempts to bloat the country's voter register. This follows a decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to open a continuous registration of eligible voters without informing the political parties. The commission has also started a voter transfer exercise without the knowledge of those stakeholders (political parties).

A statement signed by a deputy chairman of the EC in-charge of Operations, Amadu Sulley, last Thursday said 'The exercise is taking place at all district offices of the commission throughout the country,' even though it fell short of saying when it began and when it's likely to end.

The EC chairman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, is said to be on leave prior to retirement, leaving the turf for Amadu Sulley to control.

Checks at the EC's office in Accra indicated that Mr Sulley is virtually running a one-man show with no consultation with his other deputy, Georgina Opoku-Amankwa.

It's the same Amadu Sulley who was said to have unilaterally tried to organise the district assembly elections that the Supreme Court halted, costing the state over GH¢319 million.

Caution
The NPP says, 'The commission needs not be reminded that it has a duty to work in the best interest of all Ghanaians and must avoid doing things that might create unnecessary tension in the country.'

In a statement, General Secretary of the NPP Kwabena Agyepong said, 'It is obvious that the commission is refusing to learn from its mistakes and wants to continue acting against the law.'

A clear example, he said, was the cancellation of the district level elections, as ordered by the court, following the EC's disregard for the law.

The NPP has therefore asked the EC to suspend the intended exercise and properly plan any new registration in consultation with its stakeholders.

The party has also asked the commission 'to convene an Inter- Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting without delay.'

Even the statement by the EC listed a Ghanaian passport, driver's licence, national identification card and an old voter ID card as documents required for evidence of identification, Mr Agyepong noted, adding, 'The commission did not deem it fit to consult other stakeholders on the intended exercise.'

Reasons
Despite calls for an IPAC meeting, he said 'This has not taken place and the commission has just sprung the exercise on Ghanaians, without prior notice.'

Also, the NPP said 'modalities for the exercise have also not been laid out,' while 'details of how one can challenge ineligible registrants and raise objections to names put on the register have not been spelt out.'

The statement said, 'Furthermore, how political parties can monitor the exercise and certify details of the registration have not been determined.'

In coming out with the announcement, the NPP General Secretary indicated, 'It is obvious that the commission did not take distances to its district offices into consideration' because 'in many cases, potential registrants will have to travel over long distances to get to the EC district office.'

The party was of the firm conviction that this would serve as a disincentive to potential registrants.

Regulations
Mr Agyepong quoted Regulation 1(1) of the Public Elections Regulation 2012 (C.I. 72) which states that a person is entitled to have his/her name included in the register of voters of an Electoral Area if that person is: a citizen of Ghana, 18 years old and above, of sound mind, resident or ordinarily resident in an Electoral Area and not prohibited by any law in force from registering as a voter.

For this reason, he insisted that 'Registration must, therefore, be done on Electoral Area basis.'

That way, he noted, 'potential voters will find it easier to register while it would also be easier to determine the number of persons registered in every electoral area.'

For the NPP as a party, it could therefore not be understood why the EC continues to act against the laws governing its conduct of electoral affairs, quoting Regulation 2 (3) of C.I. 72 which states inter alia, 'the commission shall, at least 14 days before the first day of the national registration of voters, inform political parties and the general public by publication in the Gazette, radio, television, or any other medium of mass communication, of a place it designates as a registration centre.'

Meanwhile the Commission has not done that.
Regulation 8 (1) of C.I. 72 states that 'the commission shall make available to the interested persons or parties at the district office, the names of persons it proposes to appoint as registration supervisors, registration officers and registration assistants for the Centres, not later than 14 days before they are appointed.' The commission has also not taken the appropriate steps under this Regulation, the party noted.

Regulation 10 (3) of C.I. 72 states that 'the names of agents of registered political parties shall be communicated to the commission not later than seven days before the start of the registration.'

Concern
Surprisingly, Mr Agyepong revealed that 'Political parties have not submitted names of agents because the commission has kept everybody in the dark and is determined to do things its own way, regardless of what the regulations spell out.

'Sight must also not be lost on the various calls on the commission to open a new voter register to replace the over-bloated and unreliable register that is currently in place.'

By Charles Takyi-Boadu