NPP praises EC's decision to review electoral roll

Peter Mac Manu, former chairman of the opposition NPP, has welcomed the decision by the Electoral Commission to probe the allegations raised by the party on the bloated register.

Following persistent calls for a new register to be compiled for next year’s general elections, the Electoral Commission announced today that it has engaged the services of IT experts to help review the country’s electoral roll.

He told Joy FM’s Top Story he is hopeful the move would lead to a credible election next year and therefore patted Mrs Charlotte Osei and the EC on the back for “moving in the right direction”.

The former chairman, who represented the party in a meeting called by the EC today, confessed that he came out of the meeting happier than before.

He however advised the EC to be prepared to open its books – data base – and make them accessible to the IT experts for scrutiny.

Mac Manu nonetheless insisted that the NPP’s position on printing of additional ballots is solid. He argued that the country has never recorded 100 turnout in any election, which means printing the exact voter number would be enough to cater for spoilt ballots.

He reiterated his appeal to political parties and Ghanaians in general to view ongoing proposals for reforms as “purely a national issue” that would not benefit any particular party.

The New Patriotic Party, Convention People’s Party and the Progressive People’s Party have been emphatic the current register is bloated and must be changed.

They contend that the credibility of next year’s poll hinge on a new electoral roll.

However, the NDC joined by the People’s National Convention said a review and a cleanup of the register must be the way to go instead of replacing it with an entirely new one.

Today's meeting was called by the Commission to discuss the about 30 proposals submitted by various parties and groups on the voters’ register and other matters with the political parties.

Commission Chairperson, Mrs Charlotte Osei, told journalists proposals had been received, 15 of them from political parties and the remaining ones from civil society organizations and individuals.

She said a public forum would be held in October to discuss all the proposals submitted.