'EC must take voter registration back to the polling stations' - NDC Proforum

ec chairperson jean mensa IPAC — EC Chair Mrs Jean Mensa

The NDC Proforum-North America once again entreats the Jean Mensa commission to avail itself to reason and trash its officious approach in the run-up to the 2020 elections.

It is day-3 of the on-going limited voter registration exercise and already signs of frustration is showing in most designated centers across the country. The diaspora community has taken note of media reports that the exercise is beret with several problems as applicants are disappointed with the process so far.

Democracy should be government of the people, by the people, and for the people; .and the people are just asking that the registration exercise should be held at the various polling centers or electoral areas instead of the Electoral Commission’s district offices.

The EC must have by now, also taken note of the bitter experiences of applicants expressing their anger and frustration. We could not agree more with the ‘people’, the number of hours spent to register a prospective voter which they could have used for something profitable.

The Proforum in the service and on behalf of the people reiterate that being a citizen and a voter comes with responsibilities, however, it has been our utmost concern that, the process should not be unnecessarily strenuous for citizens to register for their franchise to vote in democratic elections. What we warned the EC about is clear for all to see now.

We emphatically uphold the views of our mother party the NDC, that there is nothing innovative about restricting registration to only district centers if not for mischievous agenda; and therefore, the EC must admit and revert to the ‘grassroots’ registration. Limited voter registration exercises since this republican dispensation has been at all voting centers.

We also demand explanation from Madam Jean Mensa the reported challenges of her new ‘IT Infrastructure’ she touted so much about. The Proforum North America as a credible professional voice in the diaspora will continue to be a watch-dog on the electioneering process and offer suggestions and demand accountability for the collective development of Ghana’s democracy.

It is thus our expectation that Madam Jean Mensa will catch up with the standard set by her predecessor especially in deepening stakeholder engagement through a cohesive IPAC at all levels to avert the avoidable blunders tainting the image of our hard-won democratic laurels abroad.

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana.

Signed.

Arnold Appiah

President