General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says they welcome the decision by the EC’s Advisory committee to meet all Political Parties and other stakeholders about the compilation of a new voters' register.
He says it is the way to go as a country.
According to him the largest opposition party is not fighting the ruling party over the compilation of a new register.
However, their position still remains unchanged until they come to a logical conclusion on the compilation of the voters' register.
Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' program, the NDC scribe explained that the party is not fighting the ruling NPP government over the compilation of the new voters' register but they are arguing for the right thing to be done.
"The EC’s blatant refusal to adhere to the clarion call of about 10 political parties to stop the compilation of a new voters' register is very worrying," he said.
"But the stand of the Eminent Advisory Committee is very laudable and we only hope that it will yield a positive result.
Until then our position remains unchanged and we will do everything within our means to stop it."
The Eminent Advisory Committee of the Electoral Commission has called for calm among the political parties in connection with agitations over plans by the election management body to compile a new register ahead of the December 2020 polls.
A statement signed by the Chairman of the Committee, Justice Emile Short, said: “The Electoral Commission on Wednesday, 15th January, 2020 held a meeting with members of the Eminent Advisory Committee to outline the justification for the procurement of a new biometric voter management system and the compilation of a new voter register for the 2020 general elections."
“At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that the EC and the Eminent Advisory Committee will meet with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) to have further deliberations on the matter.
“Meanwhile, the Eminent Advisory Committee calls for calm from all political parties and other stakeholders as they work in the national interest,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, said the Electoral Commission of Ghana has the constitutional mandate to compile a new and improved register of voters as part of its election management duties.
While some political parties, including the governing New Patriotic Party, are for the EC’s plan to compile a new register ahead of the December 2020 polls, others, including the biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress are against it.
Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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Eminent Advisory Committee must invite National Identification Authority to the meeting of the Political Parties and the Electoral Commission to deliberate on the new register for elections.
ASIEDU NKETIA "But the stand of the Eminent Advisory Committee is very laudable and we only hope that it will yield a positive result. Until then our position remains unchanged and we will do everything within our means to stop it." NDC ADMIT THAT THE STAND OF EAC TO MEET EC AND THE PARTIES IS LAUDABLE. AT THE SAME TIME NDC CLAIM THAT THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING WITHIN THEIR MEANS TO STOP IT. SO WHAT IS THE POINT FOR NDC TO ATTEND THE MEETING IF THEY HAD ALREADY TAKEN SUCH AN ENTRENCHED POSITION.
A few years ago we were told the EC is independent what has changed
Whoever says the compilation of a new Voters’ Register is a wasteful venture, doesn't know the essence and value of democracy. In our part of the world, the dispensation of our democracy is not matured enough, it has a deficit. In terms of political parties presenting competitive ideas, policies, and visionary leadership to turn things around for the ultimate welfare of the electorates leave a lot to be desired. We have to fix it. For the political parties in Ghana today, it seems first, is about the numbers that count to win the elections that instate them in power. Therefore, if we don't have a reliable system to capture and assess the votes that reflect the true wish of the electorates we lose the fundamental principle of democracy. Hence, the political parties continue to polarize society to their advantage and kleptocracy takes away the real virtues of accountability and rule law. The EC should be independent and be allowed to do her work.
NDC will condemn everything, they were against the Ghana Card, they told their members not to register for one but guess what? The leadership were the first to register, they will cry foul over everything, EC should go ahead and compile the register, the new register is what will be used for 2020, they can ask their members not to register, no one give a toss. John is talking about cost, has he listened to EC cost breakdwons? We are spnding more on the outdated devices than acquiring new one.
JohnK, Mahama used more than what the EC is requesting for just limited registration during his era and you did not see it as waste of tax payers money? Stop the hypocrisy! what at all has the NDC done to the register that they don't want a new one to be complied? Whether they cry blood or burn the sea, a new none would be compiled. Ghanaians want peace and not chaos!
It's like saying that when Ghana water company goes to parliament to ask for money to purchase new and modern technology to give us better water quality so that we do not fall sick and spend more money and time at hospitals, they should not be given. Why Ghana water you asked? Because they have the same mandate as the EC as a public service entity. Their responsibility is to ensure that continuously, we are served with the best and improved service. We paid billions of dollars to an IT company for what we have at the EC which does not even belong to EC or Ghana. This company provided software as a service for billions where the EC could not even have full access without permission from them. ***barred word*** devices and technology etc. Today EC want to have a proper infrastructure which will be for Ghana, a proper data centre, modern devices for registration, verification and voting. All of this so that we can be sure that no one votes twice and no one takes another person's card to vote in other to have much more credible data and easy to verify when there is any dispute about the final results. This one too you don't understand? If you think that maybe they can input certain data to favour one party over the other, well they can't. That is the beauty of tech, you can always do data audit to see who entered what by, date, time etc and the actual data entered. About the cost, we are told that EC conducted limited registration in 2016, which cost us 480m just limited registration as against building a whole infrastructure for Ghana plus registration costing 380m which one is value for money? Technology will kill all the unnecessary fights and noises about elections going forward so political parties should better educate themselves about economic policies, human development, etc and how to implement them to transform the lives of Ghanaians and communicate better. we are modernising and political parties who do not have the men and women with knowledge, skills and patriotism to manage the affairs of the country should as matter of urgency attract them withing Ghana and Ghanaians abroad. even if they have to pay them to put such policies and plans together. NO ONE CAN DICTATE TO EC, NO ONE NOT EVEN THE PRESIDENT. Because they are performing their duties otherwise there is no need to have the EC.
THIS ISSUE ABOUT THE NEW VOTER REGISTER IS NOT BETWEEN NDC AND NPP IT IS ABOUT GHANA.ANY PASTOR WHO WILL GO PUBLIC TO SUPPORT THIS WASTEFUL VENTURE TO SPEND OUR TAX MONEY TO DO THIS REGISTRATION IS WICKED AND MUST NOT TAKE OFFERING AGAIN FROM HIS CONGREGATION. IF YOU BELONG TO A CHURCH OR ANY CHRISTIAN GROUP AND YOUR PASTOR OR LEADERS ARE PUSHING FOR THE EC TO GO IN FOR NEW VOTER REGISTER, I WILL ADVICE YOU NEVER TO PAY OFFERING AGAIN AT CHURCH.