The Northern Regional Treasurer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Gushiegu Constituency, Hajia Shamima Sulemana Zongo has waded into the controversies surrounding the EC’s decision to compile a new Voters’ register.
According to Hajia Shamima Sulemana Zongo it makes no sense why the EC backed by the Nana Akufo-Addo led government wants to change a register that brought Akufo-Addo’s presidency and all the 275 MPs in the country.
“Unless of course, you mean that President Akufo-Ado is an illegal President,” she said.
In a Facebook Post, Hajia Shamima Sulemana Zongo said the same register gave birth to the newly created six (6) regions in the last referendum which the EC described in their own words described as “Peaceful, successful, credible, free, fair and transparent.”
“What has suddenly changed and that same praised register is now seen as unfit for the December 7 elections which is due in less than eleven months?” she asked.
She also noted that looking at the political dispensation of the country over the past eight years and over, it is obvious that the register as it is credible to be used for any election.
She averred that the register as it is now was the same register that the EC used and conducted the just ended District Assembly Elections which the EC again, praised as “credible, fair, free and transparent.” “Again I ask, what has suddenly changed and that same register has become “evil” and unfit for an election which is due in less than eleven months? Are we serious as a country, a country that hanged a new curriculum without textbooks because of lack of money wants to commit over GHC400 million to change a register the EC led by Jean Mensah used for two national elections in 2019?,” she wondered.
It would be recalled that the EC decision to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 elections was met with several criticisms from opposition parties and some political commentators.
In the event of that, eight political parties opposing the new voters’ register staged a demonstration exercise, in Tamale in the Northern Region, to express their disappointment against the move by the EC.
The demonstrators were made up of supporters of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Convention People’s Party (CPP), People’s National Convention (PNC), Eagle Party, All People’s Congress (APC), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
They have threatened to hold similar demonstrations in Kumasi and Accra in the coming days.
The political parties argued that the decision to compile a fresh electoral roll is ill-timed, defies logic, and wasteful expenditure.
However, the EC seemed adamant to this call and decided to begin compiling a new voters’ register on Sunday, April 18, 2020.
The Commission intends to complete the exercise by May 30, 2020.
The Commission also expects to exhibit the new register from August 15 to August 28, 2020.
By: PROSPER AGBENYEGA