Would be voters in North Tongu have expressed dismay with the ongoing Electoral Commission’s (EC) Limited Voter Registration Exercise describing it as a disenfranchise on their civic rights.
The prospective voters, residing in Juapong, Torgorme, Fodzoku, Adidokpoe and Battor, primarily first-time electorates say travelling more than 80 kilometres from their homes to the District Office of the EC was impeding resources.
They cited long distance, high transport fares, the risk of crossing the Volta River and being turned back after long hours of being in a queue without getting registered as some of the major setbacks.
The constituents expressed their worries during a day’s tour by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) to the Constituency to access at first hand the challenges his Constituents were going through in their pursuit to take part in the ongoing Limited Voters Registration Exercise.
While some had decided to opt out of the exercise due to the alleged frustration they are faced with, others have urged the EC to bring the exercise closer to them.
“I am not going to the EC office again, on two occasions it has not gotten to my turn after all the cost and risk,” Ms Mariam Alhassan, a first-time registrant said.
“…I have my Ghana Card, it is accepted everywhere so I don’t need the EC card,” Master Dela Awusi said.
A resident of Juapong who spoke on condition of anonymity urged the EC to bring the ongoing voter registration exercise closer to them, adding that a lot of efforts were put into the exercise when one transported him or herself to the registration centre.
The EC on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, began the registration of new voters onto the electoral roll ahead of the December 19 District Level Elections.
The Exercise, which is in accordance with Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution, is taking place at the 268 District Offices of the Commission, a deviation from the old system where limited registration exercises were done at the electoral areas.
The 21-days exercise would afford Ghanaians who have attained the voting age of 18 years since the last registration in 2020 and others who are more than 18 years but could not register during the last registration exercise, to do so.
Following the rejection of the EC’s draft Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) by Parliament in April this year, the EC said it would adopt the existing Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2016 (C.I. 91) (1) as Amended, for the upcoming registration exercise.
The draft C.I. which was disapproved by Parliament recommended a continuous voters registration exercise and sought to make the Ghana card the sole identification document to establish an applicant’s citizenship.
The adoption of C.I. 91 for the upcoming registration exercise means that eligible voters could use either the Ghana Card or the Ghana Passport to establish their identity as Ghanaians.
In the absence of the two identification documents, applicants would be required to present two people who are already registered voters to vouch for their citizenship and age.
Mr Ablakwa alleged that the EC was treating the electorates whose taxes had contributed and continued to contribute towards the country’s development with “disdain.”
“Jean Mensa’s electoral commission forgets that everything they do, it’s these people, the people they are treating with disdain, with disgust, with disrespect, with contempt it is their taxes.
According to Mr Ablakwa, being an MP, he is privileged to know the entire budget that the EC brought and was approved by Parliament, so it was worrisome for the electioneering body to allegedly claim to be financially constrained hence its decision.
“Accra is not Ghana, Ridge where Jean Mensa’s office is, it’s not Ghana, and Ghana will not be Ghana without the contributions of all these communities and all these people who are being treated with utter contempt, so this tour is very important so that we can have broader perspectives, deeper insights,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa said despite alleged ruses of the Jean Mensah-led EC to suppress votes by restricting registration to single EC Offices, he was determined not to leave any 18-year-old behind.
As a result, he had rolled out a movement plan within the Constituency from Tuesday, September 12 to Monday, October 2023 for a successful facilitation that would help about 3,000 first timers to be registered.
Madam Paulina Rowland Agbo, District Electoral Officer, North Tongu, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said on the average officers registered 80 people.
She said work was on course steadily and discounted any network issues that were alleged to be distracting their work.
Madam Agbo assured the citizens of being registered accordingly.
The GNA observed that Person’s with Disabilities were given priority assistance at the centre.
While some first-time registrants expressed excitement about getting the Voter’s Identification Card which would enable them to cast their first ballot during the 2024 general elections, some parents professed not to allow their children go through the stress thereby denying them of their constitutional mandate of electing their preferred leaders even at 18 years and above.
GNA