Intensify publicity on voter exhibition

The publicity of the Electoral Commission’s (EC) ongoing voters' register exhibition exercise needs to be intensified, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has suggested.

CODEO, in its interim report following its observation of the exercise, recommended that “public awareness campaign must be intensified by all key stakeholders, especially the Electoral Commission and the National Commission on Civic Education, NCCE.”

CODEO recommended further that the awareness campaign “highlights the implications of failure to verify one's biometric voter registration details.”

“Such public education should also aim at enhancing people's understanding of the other purposes of the exhibition exercise such as ridding the voters’ register of ineligible persons.”

CODEO also urged registered voters to “take advantage of the remaining days of the exercise to visit exhibition centres, verify their details and support the EC in its efforts to clean the voters’ register.”

Political parties need to be more involved
The civil society organisation noted the low participation of political parties in the exercise, and admonished them to “significantly scale up their support for the on-going exhibition exercise.”

CODEO’s observations revealed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had party agents in 32% of the centres visited by observers; the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had 22%; and the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) had below 1%. Agents of the other political parties were not present at the centres.

CODEO urged the parties to see the exercise as an opportunity to aid the process of ridding the register of ineligible persons.”

“Political parties should use the remaining days of the exhibition exercise to encourage registered voters to go and check their registration details.”

About CODEO’s observation of the exercise

CODEO's observers have observed a total of 1,118 exhibition centres in 6 days (July 18, 20, 21, 22, 25, and 26) in the first and second weeks of the exercise, and their findings formed the basis of the interim report.

The observers reported generally low presence of party agents at most centres visited.

In about 84% of centres visited, less than 50 prospective voters turned out to check their names per day.

The 21-day exercise which started on July 18, will end on Sunday August 7.

CODEO’s full interim report can be viewed here .

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana