Deputy CEO for Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation, Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu says he will not be surprised that members of the NDC will no more continue their demonstration against the compilation of a new voters' register, even after the Eminent Advisory Committee's scheduled meeting turns out against their expectation.
The Eminent Advisory Committee will meet the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) on Thursday, January 30, 2020 to finalize Inter-Party Resistance against a new voters’ register in connection with EC’s decision to compile a new one.
"Due to the gargantuan funds allocated to NDC’s demonstrations against the new voters' register, I don’t believe the NDC will continue the demonstrations to all parts of the sixteen[16] regions even after the upcoming meeting which they are looking up to goes against them. The funds involved is huge and that will drain them forever,” he said.
The former Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama Constituency in the Ashanti Region indicated on UTV’s ‘Adekye Nsroma’ newspaper discussion segment that they are backing the EC on the move to have a new voters' register because it is a perfect course they have yearned for years.
“They [members of the NDC] have described us as Spokespersons for the EC because we are towing the line of a good course which is as well in the interest of Ghanaians,” he added.
Source: Elizabeth Semiheva Bedi/ peacefmonline.com / [email protected]
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Those against the compilation of a New Voters Register have no case, their arguments are not logically sound and coherent. 1. Timelines The Electoral Commission under the NDC administration in 2012 compiled a New Voters Register between the period of April to May. That same year the Electoral Commission created additional 45 Constituencies bringing the total to 275 for the 2012 General Elections. If NDC supported the timelines for New Voters Register in 2012, an election year, why are they now complaining about the same timelines in 2020? This is pure hipocrisy and double standards. 2. Cost of 2020 New Voters Register Charlotte Osei leading the EC under John Mahama's administration spent GHC 487, 998, 714.00 for just a Limited Registration Exercise in 2016. That was completely waste of Public Funds. Fast forward to 2020, Jean Mensa leading the EC under Akufo-Addo's administration is spending Parliamentary approved budget of GHC 390, 265,186.44 for a completely New Voters Register ahead of the 2020 General Elections. Jean Mensah led EC is rather saving monies for the Country as well as preventing us from the wastage of public funds. 3. EC cannot Depend on NIA for New Register The Electoral Commission of Ghana cannot and should not rely on the Data from National Identification Authority (NIA) for the compilation of the New Voters Register. The Ghana Card is not supported by any Law(LI or CI) for the conduct of an elections in Ghana. There is no provisions in the NIA Act which gives its legal backing to use the Ghana Card for conduct of elections in Ghana. The Ghana Card Registration was never done on the basis of Polling Stations unlike Electoral Commission whose Registration is done at the Polling Stations level across the Country. As it stands now, the Ghana Card cannot be used for the purpose of 2020 general elections. However, the compilation of the 2020 New Voters Register would help the Electoral Commission to: 1. Avoid the payment of over Four Hundred Million US Dollars as the annual maintenance fee for the EC Data Center. 2. Avoid the expensive payments for updating the obsolete Data Center, refurbishing of obsolete BVR Kits and upgrading of obsolete BVDs. 3. Successfully generate new Codes for the newly created Six (6) Regions including its polling stations and constitutiencies. 4. Successfully implement the ROPAL as ruled by the Supreme Court of Ghana. 5. Successfully blocks people who want to use NHIS Cards as Identify Card for Registration into the New Voters Register. ....Signed.... Razak Kojo Opoku