Effutu EC exceeds target on day 13, register 3,503

As of day 13 of the limited registration exercise, the Electoral Commission (EC) had registered a total of 3,503 voters at its office in Effutu Municipality.

Additionally, the office recorded 21 challenged cases regarding the eligibility of residents in Effutu Municipality.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Winneba, Ms. Ama Emelia Akotia, the Effutu Municipal Director of the EC, mentioned that the figure recorded within this period had exceeded the target of 3,000 by the end of the exercise on Monday, May 27.

Ms. Akotia described the exercise as successful, noting that although there were a few misunderstandings and confusions, the intervention of the police ensured peace in the area.

She appealed to all stakeholders to continue contributing by sensitizing their communities and encouraging proper conduct to ensure a peaceful and successful exercise in the interest of Effutu.

On the fourth day of the exercise, the Majority Leader of Ghana’s Parliament and Member of Parliament for Effutu Constituency in the central region, Mr. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to devise a contingency plan to tackle the widespread challenges plaguing the ongoing limited voter registration exercise across the country.

The registration exercise, which was on its fourth day, was fraught with technical difficulties, including bad network connections and power outages leading to many first-time registrants being unable to register.

Following his visit to some voter registration centres in his constituency, Mr. Afenyo-Markin emphasised the need for the EC to have a backup plan to ensure every eligible voter is registered before the process ends.

“The Electoral Commission must improve on its system of registration. Obviously, if we are all talking about network failures, then I am not sure that they will be able to complete on schedule. The frustrations and delays must be addressed.

"So I am urging the Electoral Commission to ensure that they have a backup system because, as it is, the frustrations are one too many. And I would encourage the Electoral Commission to live up to expectations,” he emphasised.

The legislator's support has also contributed to the massive outcome of this exercise fairly described as incident-free.