Party Agents Warned Against Involvement In Registration Processes

Miss Georgina Opoku Amankwa, the Deputy Chairperson of Finance and Administration of the Electoral Commission (EC), has cautioned political party agents and election observers against direct involvement in the processes at the registration centre.

She said agents and observers most often strayed from their observer roles to do jobs for the technical people.

Miss Amankwa was speaking at a seminar to sensitise women groups and Persons with Disability on the impending limited registration exercise.

The seminar was under the theme: “Enhancing Inclusiveness in Ghana’s Electoral Process” organised by the EC and supported by USAID.

Miss Amankwa said it was not the business of agents, for example, to control queues.

The limited registration exercise is from April 28 to May 8, this year.

Miss Amankwa said the only way one could challenge the eligibility of prospective voters was filling a challenge form adding that no one should be refused that form on demand.

Mr Adukpo Dogbe Selormey, the Volta Regional Director of the EC, said the set age of 18 was inviolable, adding; “you register when you are a minute younger and you have gone against the law.”

He said the new legislation would allow more people than before, including the registration officer, to challenge a candidate’s eligibility for registration.

Suggestions, opinions and questions asked during an open forum included strengthening EC Public Relations Department, waiver of fees for the replacement of missing voter identity cards and the education of election officers on tactile ballot papers.