President Akufo is expected to deliver an address to the nation today Monday, June 29, 2020, over the compilation of the new Voters’ registration exercise set to begin tomorrow.
“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will on Monday address the nation, ahead of the commencement of Tuesday’s voter registration exercise. The time for the address will be communicated in the day.” Director of Communication at the Presidency Eugene Arhin has announced.
The decision by the Electoral Commission of Ghana to compile a new voters’ register has been faced fierce resistance by a group call Inter-Party Resistance Against the New Voters Register (IPRAN), made up of six opposition political parties, including largest opposition party in Ghana – the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The group staged demonstrations in some parts of the country early this year. It had planned to escalate their actions against the EC but for the spread of coronavirus in the country.
The EC has nonetheless maintained its position to compile a new voters register
The commission initially slated the exercise on April 18, 2020, but postponed to June 30, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With about 5 months to the December 7, Presidential and Parliamentary election, the EC has served notice it will still go ahead with the compilation of the new voter’s register.
The NDC sued the Electoral Commission at the Supreme Court to stop it from the compilation exercise and also accept old Voters ID as qualification requirement should it go ahead with the exercise. But these reliefs were struck out by the Apex court last week.
Ahead of the exercise, armed military personnel, immigration officials, and National Security have been deployed to border towns in Togo as the border remains closed.
Though there have been conflicting explanations by government officials over reasons for the deployment. While the Interior Minister says it is for Covid-19 operation, Adansi Asokwa Member of Parliament K.T Hammond says it is to prevent foreigners from registering in the upcoming compilation of Voters’ Register.
But the opposition NDC has expressed strong displeasure over the deployment accusing the government of attempt to intimidate qualified Ghanaians from registering in their strongholds.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
