Non Partisan movement, the Alliance for New Register has lauded the Electoral Commission for taking the initiative to compile a new voters register for the 2020 elections.
The group has also impressed upon the Commission to ignore calls and suggestions by the National Identification Authority (NIA) that the EC can and should use its data for the elections.
BestNewsGH.com can report Founder and Secretary-General of the group, Mr. Razak Kojo Opoku as saying at a press conference on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 that the decision by the Electoral Commission to compile a new voters register is the most prudent decision that could be taken in the interest of the nation.
Cataloging some of the benefits that inure to the country should the Electoral Commission compile the new register, the group said it will enable the Commission to avoid the payment of over Four Hundred Million US Dollars as the annual maintenance fee for the EC’s Data Center, stop the expensive payments for updating the obsolete Data Center, refurbishing of obsolete BVR Kits and upgrading of obsolete BVDs as well as helping the EC to successfully generate new Codes for the newly created Six (6) Regions including its polling stations and constituencies.
Again, the Alliance for New Register argues that the new register will aid the Commission to successfully implement the ROPAL as ruled by the Supreme Court of Ghana and also help to successfully block people who want to use NHIS Cards as Identity Card for Registration into the New Voters Register.
The group, BestNewsGH.com can also report, is therefore calling on the generality of the Ghanaian people to ignore the lamentations, propaganda and machinations of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) who are vehemently opposed the to the idea of the new voters register.
‘’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 hypocrisy and double standards.’’ the group said.
They continued that ‘’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 a Parliamentary approved budget of GHC 390, 265,186.44 for a completely New Voters Register ahead of the 2020 General Elections. The Jean Mensa led EC is rather saving monies for the Country as well as preventing us from the wastage of public funds.’’
Source: BestNewsGH.com
