Collaborate with EC towards credible voter’s register - Christian Council appeals to stakeholders
The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has called on the various religious bodies, civil society organisations, political parties and other stakeholders to collaborate with the Electoral Commission (EC) to take steps to get a credible voters register ahead of the 2016 general election.
The council said it was much concerned about the fact that the debate on the voters register had gradually unveiled parochial interests and called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to undertake the necessary electoral reforms as recommended by the Supreme Court in the 2012 Election Petition.
A sttaement issued by the council and signed by its General Secretary, Rev.Dr Kwame Opuni Frimpong, in Accra on Thursday, October 22, said in as much as there was the need to ensure that the country had a credible voters register, the stakeholders needed to be circumspect in dealing with the EC to restore sanity to the electoral process.
Legal framework
The statement said the CCG was of the strongest opinion that “Ghana must quickly put in place a legal framework to address issues pertaining to elections, especially on electoral fraud.”
It added that the council was aware that the 1992 constitution made provision to address some electoral concerns; however, having a separate legal framework on elections would help address the many issues that arise during elections.
The CCG underscored the need for the country to take a cue from the Kenyan example to ensure free elections in 2016, saying “in this regard, we can learn from the people of Kenya who have put in place an extensive legal framework to deal with electoral issues.”
“In 2012, there were several cases in which the biometric verification machines did not work properly. It is, therefore, important for the EC to work at ensuring that whatever challenges there are with the machines are corrected, and additional back-up machines are made available on time at every polling station”, the statement said.
It called on the EC and other stakeholders to develop innovative ways to minimise the long hours and fatigue that voters go through before casting their votes, and urged the government to provide the EC with the necessary resources on time to enable it to execute its mandate effectively.
Voter education
According to the CCG, previous elections have been characterised by pockets of violence,monetary inducement, tension and waste of ballot papers.
The CCG, therefore, called on the EC, religious bodies and other stakeholders to begin extensive nationwide voter education to reverse the trend and help voters to make informed decisions.
