Take voters registration exercise seriously
The 10-day limited voters registration exercise at 6,000 centres across the country started on a low key yesterday, with a number of centres recording very low turnouts.
The national exercise, being organised by the Electoral Commission (EC), is targeted at those who were not able to register during previous registration exercises and those who turned 18 after the 2012 elections.
This important democratic exercise, which ends on Wednesday, August 13, 2014, will help revise the voters register for the 2016 elections.
Getting a credible and reliable voters register for the country has been a thorny issue for some time now, with various political parties expressing mixed opinions on the existing register. There is the problem of ghost names in the register, while minors attempt to register anytime a voters registration exercise begins.
It, therefore, behoves all Ghanaians to take this registration exercise much more seriously by carrying out their civic responsibility to register in order to exercise their franchise.
It is in this connection that the Daily Graphic expects all stakeholders to play within the rules of engagement to ensure the success of the exercise.
It is sad to note that many of the 18-year-olds who spoke to the Daily Graphic said their main reason for registering was to obtain voters ID cards for other purposes, especially the opening of bank accounts, instead of for voting.
This gives the impression that our first-time voters actually do not know the real essence of the national exercise.
In some centres across the country, the exercise was fraught with misunderstanding and heated arguments over the ages, nationality, identification and residences of some of the people seeking to register.
The Daily Graphic calls on all stakeholders, especially agents of political parties, parents, guardians and guarantors, to not allow minors to take advantage of the limited exercise. We must all follow due process in verifying the eligibility of applicants before registering them and bear in mind that circumventing the process is a criminal act punishable by the laws of the land.
The EC must, as a matter of urgency, intensify its public education on the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the exercise and the need for all to play within the law.
It is equally imperative that the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Information Services Department (ISD) support the sensitisation campaign to raise awareness of the national exercise.
No doubt, the numerous occasions when the exercise was postponed could have resulted in a significant number of people, particularly those who have just turned 18, forgetting about the exercise, hence the need for public education to be intensified.
It is the view of the Daily Graphic that if the general populace is constantly reminded of their civic responsibility, many more people will come out and register in the subsequent days of the exercise.
It is the contention of the Daily Graphic that once again, we have another unique opportunity to get a good voters register for the country. But this will be dependant on what we all do as stakeholders.
It requires vigilance and commitment from all interest groups. The commission must also endeavour to stay above blame and be neutral to inject trust and confidence in the whole process, as a credible electoral roll is a first step of ensuring a free and fair election.
