2020 Elections: Old Voters' Register Is Credible, Even NPP's Mac Manu Backs It - Pratt

Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., is solidly behind the opposition against the compilation of a new voters' register, stating that the Electoral Commission (EC) should make do with the current register for this year's December elections.

To him, the EC's argument that the old register is not credible cannot be substantiated, because recent comments by the Campaign Manager of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu suggests the old register can be used for the elections.

Mr. Mac Manu, in a response to claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the EC is in cahoots with the NPP to rig the elections for President Nana Akufo-Addo, emphasized at a press conference that the NPP doesn't need the election management body to win the elections.

According to him, the governing party has set a good track record and the President will be given a second term in office based on the good works of his administration.

He also stressed that with or without the new voters' register, the NPP will win the 2020 elections.

Contributing to 'Kokrokoo' on Peace FM, Kwesi Pratt questioned why the NPP is bent on having a new voters' register if indeed the ruling party is confident of a landslide victory in the December polls.

He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi the response by the NPP party's Campaign Manager attests that the old voters' register is credible and there is no need for the EC to compile a new one.

''If we can use the old register for the elections, let's use it. That's all," he asserted.




Legal documents for the registration exercise

Mr. Pratt also raised red flags over the EC's decision to use only the Ghana card and passport for the registration exercise, asking why the Commission failed to include the birth certificate which is also a proof of one's nationality and is also accessible to every Ghanaian.

To him, many Ghanaians, particularly those in the hinterlands, are not privileged to have a passport nor the Ghana card; thus using these two documents as the only legal requirements for the exercise will deprive a lot of eligible Ghanaians of their voting rights.

He therefore advised the EC against their strong-willed decision saying ''as far as I'm concerned, the issue is not even about NDC; it's not about NPP. It's about the right of Ghanaians to vote. That's the main issue. It's not about NDC or NPP. Yes, why? Is the right of Ghanaians to vote about NDC or NPP? It's a right that all Ghanaians above 18 years to vote and we should ensure all the Ghanaians above 18 have the voting right''.