The issue of a new voters’ register making airwaves can be traced back to the year 2015 after the ruling New Patriotic Party made calls for the register to be replaced with a new register. The party, then in opposition caused a national debate as Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia led a team that proved to the country that there were over 76,000 non-Ghanaians who are Togolese were found registered as Ghanaian voters.
The then electoral commission under the leadership of Madam Charlotte Osei set up a panel led by the late Justice V.C.R.A.C Crabbe. At the end of their work, the panel recommended that the Electoral Commission should not compile a new voters register. Subsequently, there were other interventions put in place to remove these names from the register found to be non-Ghanaians. One of such interventions was for all who registered with national health insurance cards to register again with documents like birth certificate and passports.
Years after, a new electoral commission leadership with Mrs. Jean Mensa as chairperson in a press statement informed the general public on some key decisions made at the EC’s Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) which included all parties agreeing to the making of a new voters register on the 27th of March, 2019.
It was to this press release that the NDC on the 16th of April, 2019, released another press statement debunking some of the resolutions including the agreement by all parties for a new voters’ register for the 2020 elections. According to the party, nothing on the new voters’ register came up for any extensive deliberations. Later in December, the party in a press conference addressed by General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketsiah called for a joint technical team meeting among all political parties together with the electoral commission to look into the problems with the current register and how to address the challenges. At the same event, the general secretary suggested that the commission wait and use what they described as ‘a new scientific population base’ to be established by the Ghana Statistical Service after the Population and Housing Census to be organized in March this year. According to the party, this they believe could be used to test the accuracy of the voters’ register.
Current Situation; 2020
A new phase entered into this whole debate as some groups made up of coalition of organizations have sprung up this year to make several calls concerning the new voters’ register debate after parliament’s approval of the over 390 million Ghana Cedis for the whole exercise.
Those ‘For’ the new voters’ registration
The divide that goes in support of the new voters register is made up of over 13 political parties including the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), National Democratic Party (NDP), People’s National Convention (PNC) and the Convention Peoples Party (CPP). The coalition led by the founder and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana, Mr. Kofi Akpaloo at a meeting held in Accra said that they believe the Electoral Commission (EC) has made so far a solid case in terms of cost, time and credibility thus their backing for a new voters’ register. They also believe that it is in the mandate of the commission as stipulated in Article 45 of the 1992 constitution and the Electoral Commission Act (ACT 451) to make a new register. They also add that according to Article 51 of the constitution, the EC has the mandate to make the necessary regulations for their effective performance saying that “everybody is on the EC, but if it goes bad, they are the ones going to be blamed”. They have also advised the electoral commission to do well to engage the parties opposing this move in “an atmosphere of openness and sincerity.”
Those ‘Against’ the new Voters’ Register
The coalition that came up against plans for a new voters’ register is the ‘Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voters Register’ (IPRAN). Parties that make up this coalition are the All People’s Congress (APC), National Democratic Congress (NDC),Eagles Party (EP), United Progressive Party (UPP), United Front Party (UFP), and People’s National Convention (PNC). At a press conference in Accra on Monday, Dr. Hassan Ayariga, leader of the APC said that they are focused on “the integrity of the electoral process”. According to him, the Electoral Commission “has not given tenable reasons to warrant the compilation a new voters’ register”. Among other things Dr. Ayariga said that they (the IPRAN) are a “coalition of some political parties in Ghana, who are resolved to defend and protect the integrity of our electoral process.” He also mentions some reasons why the voters’ register must not be compiled anew as the current register was the same used to recently elect the over 6000 and 30,000 assembly members and unit committee members respectively. On the path of the NDC they have maintained the arguments that involves cost of the process, that the same register was used for the just-ended district assembly elections amongst other things. The coalition says to put pressure on the commission, they will be embarking on a series of demonstrations dubbed ‘Y3mmpene Demonstrations’ in Tamale, Kumasi and Accra on the 11th, 21st and 28th of this month.
The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) For Good Governance
The Coalition of CSO’s For Good Governance is another group that its voice to the new voters’ registration debate. Unlike the first two coalitions, this coalition sought to open up a public forum at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra, yesterday that asked a simple question; “Does Ghana really need a new voters register?”. With this, all stakeholders in the electoral process including the electoral commission and political parties were expected to be present to give their views on the issue. Speakers who spoke at this forum yesterday included People’s National Convention (PNC) Chairman, Bernard Mornah; veteran journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr; Dr. Jerry Monfant as well as Dr. Thomas Yeboah. According to Mr. Mensah Thompson, a member of the coalition and the executive director of a CSO called ASEPA Ghana, the electoral commission should have organized such a forum to solicit the views and opinions of the citizens of Ghana to add their inputs. They sought to talk on factors such as finances and technical viability and other important areas. These organizations include ASEPA Ghana, Chamber of Local Government-ChaLoG, Swiss Angels Foundation, Cross Fire Ghana and others. He also adds that per the inputs made, they as a coalition will support or go against the new voters’ register compilation. The forum after the meeting yesterday is however yet to state their stance on the matter per what was presented.
Mr. Bernard Mornah, Chairman of the People’s National Convention whiles agreeing with the issues raised by the coalition against the new voters’ register was also of the view that there no need for a new voters’ register adding all the commission needed to do was to upgrade the system. He also adds that this arrangement will affect the timetable of political parties in the upcoming 2020n elections citing campaigns and others.
The managing editor of the ‘Insight Newspaper’ Mr. Kwesi Pratt was also of the view that there was no need for a new register since the commission has said that the current register is credible. He says that the register is as credible as the EC says it is.
Dr. Jerry Monfant a finance expert, who also spoke at the event in his address concluded that there was no need for a new voters’ register because reasons given by the EC were not convincing, reasons given by the EC are to satisfy their own personal interest again that of the nation, the public purse will not be prudently managed and that the country has better alternative need than a voters register.
Latest Development
The leadership of the People’s National Convention seems to have been set into both parts of the divide for and against the new voters’ register. This looks so as the Chairman of the Party Mr. Bernard Mornah actively supports a ‘No’ for the new register whiles the 2016 flagbearer and Ghana’s Ambassador-at-Large, Dr. Edward Mahama through the party’s National Vice Chairman, Mr. Henry Asante threw his weight behind the coalitiion of ‘Yes’ campaigners. Mr. Bernard Mornah however insists that his position only reflects that of the party’s leadership. Mr. Henry Asante also insists that he was sent by Dr. Mahama to represent the party in support of a new voters’ register. According to him he, Dr. Mahama who is the leader of the party as the flag bearer till another is elected has the final say.
The Electoral Commission
In all these, the electoral commission however on a number of occasions has maintained its position. As it stands, the electoral commission has slated the process for May this year. Speaking on citi fm this evening as to why the EC would not wait on results from the impending population and housing census, Dr,Serebour Quaicoo, Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission said that the EC’s activities do not depend on any activities.
