EC Must Embrace Consultations, Intransigence Won’t Help!

Last week the Electoral Commission (EC) headed by Mrs. Jean Mensah embarked on what it said was a pilot registration exercise in all the sixteen (16) regional capitals in the country ahead of the 2020 polls.

The exercise, certainly was to put to test the much talked about Biometric Voter Registration system the Commission has acquired against much opposition particularly from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other stakeholders.

According to the Commission a total of 1,990 applicants were registered at the end of a pilot exercise.

Already, the NDC has sued the Commission over its attempts to compile a new register.

The NDC argues in its suit that the EC lacks the power to go ahead with its plans because it can only “compile a register of voters only once, and thereafter revise it periodically, as may be determined by law”.

Be that as it may, it is obvious the EC come rain or shine intends to compile a new voter’s register with or without our consent especially in this time when the threats of COVID-19 still lurks.

For us it is about time the EC considered dialogue over attempts to lord their resolve for a new voters roll on all of us as though funding for that exercise is coming from the pockets.

The Commission no matter what law backing their actions must learn to jaw-jaw, show respect to dissenting views and dialogue more.

THE NEW PUBLISHER cannot agree more with the posture of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) stressing the need for intensified stakeholder consultations to ensure a smooth election on December 7, 2020.

In the view of the Christian body, the EC in its resolve to compile a new voters’ register ahead of this year’s elections has seen opposition from the largest opposition party, NDC, as well as some civil society organizations for which reason there ought to be deliberations between the EC and stakeholders for a peaceful election.

In fact the First Vice Chairman of the Council, Reverend Sam Korankye Ankrah hit the nail right on the head when he said “On this volatile issue of the voter registration, we are asking everybody to jaw-jaw other than fist-fist. This is not about fights but rather about democracy. Let’s debate and have consensus and agreements somewhere along the line so that we do what it’s needful for all of us…”

The paper is of the considered view peace building is a process not an event. In our case, the peace we seek as a people would not come on a silver platter if those who seek it exhibit entrenched positions only satisfy their selfish gains or pay masters.

As it is said in our local parlance, the fly that does not listen to advice follows the corpse to the grave…

The EC Must Embrace Consultation, Intransigence is not the way!