EC Picks Nov 7 For 2016 Elections � No Room For New Register On Calendar

The Electoral Commission’s Programme of Activities for Electoral Year 2016, available to the New Statesman, has made no provision for a compilation of a new voters register, which is being demanded by majority of Ghanaians.

This appears to support claims in some quarters that even before the Charlotte Osei-led Commission conducts thorough investigations into evidence presented by the New Patriotic Party and other groups, pointing to the fact that the current register is incurable flawed, it seems to be on the side of the ruling National Democrat Congress that there is no need for a new register.

What is, however, stated clearly on the EC’s calendar is that the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections will be conducted on November 7, which is a departure from the December 7 date these elections had been conduct in the past.

According to the time table, on November 9, 2016, Ghanaians will get to know whether they will continue to live under the failed Mahama government for another four years or they will be salved from the current hopelessness by an Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party administration.

But should none of them secure the required 50 per cent plus one vote in the November 7 presidential election, a run-off election will be held to determine the eventual winner.

The EC starts the process of revision of the current flawed voters register in December, 2015, with recruitment of registration supervisors and technicians on December 5, to be followed by a meeting of IPAC the next day.

On December 12, 2015, the EC will then recruit registration officers, laminators and date entry clerks, with the submission of the list of proposed registration supervisors and officers to interested persons or parties at the District Office planned for the next day.

Then on December 19, 2015 a National Planning Meeting “to strategize for the impending Revision of the Voters Register Exercise” will take place.

After pilot testing’s at the EC headquarters and regional offices, the actual exercises will take place from February 19, 2016, with printing of provisional register slated for May 1, 2016.

Political parties can then expect to get copies “in a form determined by the EC” on May 29, 2016 ahead of Exhibition of the Register.

With no room created for a possible compilation of new voters register, it becomes clear that the Charlotte Osei-EC will prepare its Election year Budget without any estimates for that exercises. The EC also has no plans of doing away with STL as the sole manager of its electoral data.