Voter registration exercise at Anyaa Sowutuom suffers technical challenges

The National Voters Registration exercise has suffered a technical hitch at the Anyaa Sowutuom Constituency in the Greater Accra region.

The Electoral Commision (EC) officials say they are finding it difficult to log into the Commission's database to start the process.

Although, the set up was in place by 0700 hours at the premises of the Ga Central Municipal Assembly EC office at Sowutuom in Accra, hundreds stood in a queue waiting.

People who had thronged the two registration centres as early as 0600 hours to get registered but as of 1120 hours, no one had been registered.

The situation caused many registrants to complain about the stalled process and nature of the exercise with others threatening to abandon the process because “the EC was wasting our time.”

“We've been here since 6am but we have only been made to fill the form. The sun is scotching but the tent and chairs provided by the EC can't provide the shelter we need. They haven't also explained the cause of the delay,” said Isaac Kwasi Ofori, one of the registrants.

“I brought my daughter who is now 18 years old to register. Up till now our names have not been captured. And we have waited for so long. I feel like giving up because the weather is so hot,” said Madam Harriet, a mother of two teenagers of voting age.

Others who had filled their forms despite the delay waited eagerly for the technical hitch to be resolved.

“The process is too slow, but I have no choice but to wait. I want to vote in this year's election.” Saudatu Darpoh, who recently turned 18 years, told the GNA

Mr Ofori, another 18-year-old, who sat next to Saudatu also said he would wait patiently to be captured on the electoral roll.

However, the EC official in charge, Nana Esi Dadzie, said the issue was a nationwide problem which was being resolved.

The EC on Tuesday, began a nationwide mass registration exercise to register new voters and replace missing voter IDs ahead of polls on December 7 this year

The MCE of the Ga Central Municipal Assembly, Edward Ambrose Tsegah, who visited to access the process calmed frustrated constituents, stating that the technical issue would be resolved.

Present at the centres were officials from the two major parties: the NDC and NPP, who were keenly observing the process, particularly that of the new registrants.

One of them, Al Khali Abdul Rafah, blamed the NCCE for not sensitizing new voters on the 22 -day exercise.

“The NCCE has failed in its mandate to offer adequate education on voters' civic rights, so I was here to guide some of the prospective voters,” he said.

The NDC parliamentary candidate for the Anyaa Sowutuom, Mr Emmanuel Adotey Allotey, also visited the premises to observe the process.

The limited voter registration exercise is set to last for 21 days. In the Anyaa Sowutuom Constituency RCs office, a staff strength of ten are supervising the process.

GNA