Some high-ranking personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces within Burma Camp say they suspect sabotage in the special voting exercise taking place on 1 December.
Some of them told Class91.3FM’s Emefa Apawu that their inability to find their names on the list of special voters smacked of a grand scheme to disenfranchise them.
Across the length and breadth of the country, reports indicate that security personnel in particular are complaining about their inability to find their names on the register so they could vote. For instance, confusion over missing names on the list of special voters at the Nima Police Station in the Ayawaso East constituency of the Greater Accra Region led to a suspension of the exercise temporarily.
Reports from the station said most the police officers who had gone to vote could not find their names on the list.
In the Ashanti Region too, some military and police personnel complained they were being prevented from casting their vote because they cannot trace their names on the register.
In the Eastern Region, reports say the regional police commander could not vote because he could also not find his name on the register. Also, the District police commander in Suaman Dadieso in the Western Region was disenfranchised for the same reason.
The Special or Early Voting is organised by the Electoral Commission for journalists, security personnel, and officers of the election management body who will be busy supervising the general elections on 7 December.
The Director of Communications of the Electoral Commission, Mr Kofi Dzakpasu, told Prince Minkah on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show that the inability of the security officers to vote could be attributed to the inability of their High Commands to submit their names.
Mr Dzakpasu also said some personnel may have relocated to different places but may not have transferred their vote as required by law and so cannot vote in their current places of residence.
He added that personnel who may also have made errors in submitting their voter ID numbers may not be able to vote.
Ghanaians are electing a new president and new parliament for a fresh four-year term. Seven candidates are contesting in the presidential race.
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