The Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) has observed that the piloting of Biometric Voting Devices (BVDs) in 15% of polling stations across the country is a vast improvement on the 2016 exhibition exercise during which no BVDs were used during the voters register exhibition.
In a Statement signed and issued by John Hall Acquaah, Director of Operations for LMVCA, he indicated that the consultative move by the EC to extend the exhibition period by two days in response to calls by citizens, political parties, and civil society groups is commendable.
He stated that the additional days will undoubtedly enable interested persons to participate in the exercise outside working days and hours.
The Group also commended the EC for a successful voter registration exercise amid the fears and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic and averred that the EC remained focused and resolute in its determination to deliver, for the good people of Ghana, a credible electoral roll for the December 2020 elections and beyond.
John Hall Acquaah said, the Electoral Commission put in place measures for the compilation of a new voters register in a safe environment, and successfully registered a total of some 16,963,306 million Ghanaians.
In the light of this, he maintained that the Commission must consider institutionalising a weekly press briefing spanning through the next 12 clear weeks to update stakeholders and citizens regularly on the December 2020 polls.
This, he said, “will promote continuous deliberation and discussion of electoral issues to foster collaboration and openness between the EC and relevant stakeholders ahead of the general election.”
LMVCA however urged all registered voters to participate in the exhibition exercise to confirm that they will be able to vote on election day, 7th December, 2020.
“In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage registered voters to take advantage of the widely publicised short code 1422 to verify their details as captured on the voters register, in order to minimize the number of people physically present at the various polling stations,” he stated.
He also stressed that LMVCA remains resolute in its commitment to credible elections and that they are closely monitoring the electoral process and the activities of the Commission; expecting that “in the interest of the consolidation of our democracy the Electoral Commission will listen and act quickly for the benefit of our democracy and country at large.”
The Group also took notice of varying degrees of irregularities in the ongoing voters register exhibition exercise and pointed out that the EC should, as a matter of urgency sit up, be open and transparent to all stakeholders to ensure that the transparency and integrity of the electoral process is fully upheld at an all-time high, and to deliver credible elections whose results cannot be disputed.
The LMVCA as an election observer group that has consistently emphasized the positive correlation between a credible voters’ register and credible elections said the EC should rectify all the anomalies that have been uncovered in the exhibition exercise to ensure that no registered voter is deprived of the constitutional right to vote on election day.
-Prosper Agbenyega
