The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has formally requested the Electoral Commission (EC) to increase the number of registration centres for the upcoming voter registration exercise within each district to alleviate the inconvenience faced by citizens who would otherwise have to travel long distances to register.
The limited registration exercise is set to take place from September 12 to October 2, 2023.
The PPP’s suggestion stems from the belief that by establishing more registration centres in every district, accessibility to the registration process would be greatly improved.
In a statement, the party said this approach aligns with the party’s vision of facilitating a more convenient and inclusive participation of citizens in the democratic process.
The limited voter registration exercise is intended for eligible Ghanaians who turned 18 years old after the 2020 registration exercise, as well as other eligible voters.
According to Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the EC, the exercise will occur across all 268 district offices of the EC throughout the country.
Remy Paa Kow Edmundson, the National Secretary of the PPP highlighted that the simple solution of increasing registration centres in each district would have a significant positive impact by making registration more accessible and encouraging broader participation in the democratic process and ultimately contributing to a more representative and engaged electorates.
“The PPP is speaking up and asking the EC to add more registration centres in every District. This way, people won’t have to travel so far and can easily register to vote. It’s a simple solution that will make a big difference,” he stated.
Mr Edmundson again said the party was advocating for “a fixed date for the District Level Elections, just like we do for the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. Right now, the dates for these elections keep changing, and that makes it hard for candidates and voters to plan ahead. If we have a set date, it will make things a lot easier and more organised.”.
Meanwhile, some seven political parties in the country have also rejected the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to restrict the upcoming voter registration exercise to its district offices.
According to the political parties, such a move would disenfranchise a number of Ghanaians who have attained the voting age.
They want the commission to instead open up the process for the exercise to be conducted at the electoral areas.
The seven political parties have thus promised not to rest until the EC registers every eligible Ghanaian who has attained the voting age.
The parties are the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Convention People’s Party (CPP), People’s National Congress (PNC), All Progressives Congress (APC), National Democratic Party (NDP), and the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP).
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
