Election 2020: EC to compile new voters’ register

The Electoral Commission has served notice a new voters’ register will be compiled ahead of the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Electoral Management Body is currently inspecting offices of political parties, according to a press statement after an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting Wednesday.

The call for a new voters’ roll was made ahead of the 2016 elections which culminated in a series of demonstrations by the Let My Vote Count Alliance. However, due to financial constraints the EC failed to heed the call.

After meeting stakeholders over the issue, the EC said a new register will be used for the next general elections. Below are details of a six-point press statement:

1. The District Level Elections and the Referendum will be conducted on the same day during the last quarter of 2019.
2. The Commission will undertake a Limited Registration of new voters’ prior to the District Level Elections and Referendum in May 2019. The registration will take place in all the District Offices of the Electoral Commission across the country.
3. The Commission will compile a new voters’ register ahead of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.
4. The Commission will publish the time table and road map for the District Level Election, Referendum and other activities of the year in the 1st week of April 2019.
5. The inspection of offices of political parties is underway. A comprehensive report on the findings of inspection would be made available to stakeholders by the end   of May 2019.
6. The Commission has published the report on the submitted Audited Accounts of the Political Parties. This appeared in the Daily Graphic on Thursday, 21st March, 2019. The Commission is preparing a draft Constitutional Instrument to regulate and streamline the format of Financial Returns and Audited Accounts of the Political Parties.