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The Electoral Commission has insisted that no political party or pressure group can stampede it into compiling a new voters’ register for this year’s general elections.

According to the EC Chairperson, Mrs Charlotte Osei, the commission remains independent and cannot be pushed into making decisions.

The EC has explained that it will  not compile a new voters’ register for this year’s elections following agitations spearheaded by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the pressure group Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) that the current register in its present form contains names of foreigners and minors and therefore should be changed.

The commission after engaging a five-member committee to look into the matter concluded that it was not convinced by the arguments put forward by the NPP for the register to be changed.

The NPP has described the EC’s stance as disappointing while the LMVCA has threatened to go to court on the matter.

Speaking to journalists on the issue at the sidelines of a Kofi Annan Foundations Electoral Integrity Initiative programme, Mrs Osei said: “...an electoral management body should never be stampeded into taking a decision by a political party and that’s why the constitution grants you independence. So people may just try to stampede but you have to stand your ground and do what you know is right.”

“There is inclusiveness in the sense that you need to listen to the views of all the stakeholders and examine their views, take it on board when you can but you must always do what is right and what is legal and that is why the law gives you independence.”

“So you should never be stampeded if you are in EMB [electoral management body] work but you will find that in every country you go political parties try to stampede EMBs [ into doing what they want, its their job description, our job description is to do what is right by the citizens of the country and in accordance with the law."