New Voters Register: Just boycott 2020 general elections

In 1992, the NPP and other opposition parties due to suspicions of electoral manipulations and cheating boycotted the parliamentary elections. The paper, ‘stolen verdict’ was written to make a case.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) won 189 of the 200 parliamentary seats. According to the Interim National Election Commission (INEC) reports, 29 percent of registered voters turned out to vote in the parliamentary election, which gave the NDC the mandate to the governor for the next four years.

In the run-up to the December 2020 general election the NDC and some political parties have launched a series of attacks on the EC over the EC’s move to compile a new voters’ register.

The NDC has however sued the EC over its decision to compile a fresh voters’ register.

The opposition party has already staged a number of protests against the election body’s decision.

In their latest line of action, the NDC is seeking a “declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 45(a) of the 1992 Constitution, 2nd Defendant has the constitutional power to, and can, compile a register of voters only once, and thereafter revise it periodically, as may be determined by law.

But speaking in an interview of Happy FM’s Epa Hoa Daben show with Kwame Afrifa-Mensah, Deputy Communications Director for the ruling NPP Richard Nyamah said if the NDC just cannot stand the EC’s current decision to compile new voters register they just boycott the election like they the NPP did in 1992.

“I just want to ask the NDC one simple question, what if the Supreme Court throws out their suit against the EC, will they tell their people to go and participate in the voter registration exercise or will they participate in the 2020 general elections? Nyamah quizzes.

“You see the NPP boycotted the 1992 elections, so it’s not too late the NDC also can do the same. It will even help the tension in the country to calm down. They should simply boycott it and stop the series of the attack on the EC. No matter what the NDC will do they will lose the 2020 elections because the Nana Addo 4yrs is not comparable to that of JM, ”he added.

However, the EC has also indicated it will commence its proposed new Voters Register for election 2020 by the close of May.

The decision to compile a new voter’s roll has raked up considerable controversy, with the political parties and civil society divided over its prudence and timeliness, however, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe says the EC is going ahead with its program and will announce a commencement date soon.