NPP Fights EC ...Over �2016 Voter Fraud�

THE EASTERN regional secretariat of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has raised red flags over the just ended exhibition of the voters� register undertaken by the Electoral Commission (EC). According to the party, the EC�s voters� register does not correspond with the professional register printed out by the EC to the various political parties. At a press conference held in Koforidua and addressed by the Eastern regional communications director of the party, David Prah, the party alleged that �after careful examination of the provisional register and print out provided by the EC during the limited registration period earlier this year, some constituencies and polling stations in the region had their total number of people who registered not corresponding with the current EC register being used for the exhibition.� The regional executives alleged that the act is being perpetrated at NPP strongholds. The EC�s exhibition of the voter�s register recorded very low patronage, heightening fears in the NPP about possible risk of voter fraud. The register was opened for voters to verify their details. The exercise was expected to help remove names of minors, people who have died and those who have registered twice. However, the NPP insisted that at some polling stations such as Comet Polling station at Akuapem South constituency, 145 people registered as was in the party�s print out register from the EC, but the EC's provisional register showed a figure of 124, a reduction of 21 names. Mr. Prah also added that, at Akuapem North constituency, precisely Obosomase Upper Primary Polling station with code E062103 as many as 216 names were missing in the EC�s provisional register. He said at Abetifi Anglican, Kubease, Dome and community centre 5 polling stations in the Abetifi constituency, a total of 56 registered voters� names could not be found in the EC�s register. Speaking on other observations made during the exercise, the party stated that template of the register exhibited by the EC was hidden away from the NPP which should not have been the case for the sake of free, fair and transparent electoral process. The party alleged that some individual names were spelt wrongly even though the necessary corrections were to be done during the 2012 exhibition exercise. The party wondered why the EC is harbouring under age, double registration and other irregularities in the voters register, adding that legal actions would be made if the EC do not do the needed correction to ensure a clean register.