A coalition of concerned youth made up of all ethnic groups drawn from the Kusaag Kingdom in the Upper East Region say the existing voter’s register is fit for purpose and should be used by the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct the 2020 general election.
The call by the Kusaag youth comes at the back of the EC’s quest to compile a new voter’s roll ahead of the December polls.
The coalition made up of all ethnic groups in the six districts of the Kusaag Kingdom; Bawku Municipal, Garu, Binduri, Tempane, Pusiga and Zebilla Districts say the timing to compile a new voter’s register is wrong and also urges the Commission to stop the attempt to redefine Ghanaian citizenship.
“We believe the timing is absolutely inappropriate especially because the national IDs or Ghana Cards is not available to tens of thousands within our jurisdiction by no fault of theirs.
Again, we are deeply concerned about the EC’s attempt to redefine Ghanaian citizenship, where birth certificates that gave legality to both documents are rendered useless,” a statement issued here Tuesday said.
The Upper East youth is therefore calling on the electoral body to exhibit the current voter’s register for people to verify their names, conduct a limited voter registration exercise, act in a manner that fosters trust from all political parties as well as restore the lost relevance of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC).
The group say it is deeply concerned with the rising political tensions and the ‘macho man’ attitude of the Electoral Commission which according to them is “still defiant and reluctant to reason with eminent persons and groups calling for broader consensus.”
The attitude of the electoral body, the Upper East youth say is a recipe for chaos in the country and appeal to well-meaning Ghanaians including the National Peace Council, religious bodies, the National House of Chiefs, civil society organizations and labour unions to add their voice to dangerous path being charted by the EC.
There’s been widespread opposition by a segment of the country’s population from the day the Electoral Commission here announced its decision to compile a new voter’s register.
The largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has sued the EC at the country’s apex court over the latter’s decision ahead of the December polls.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) to regulate the registration exercise and the conduct of the country’s general election later in the year matured on Tuesday, June 9, 2020.
By Francis Kobena Tandoh || ghananewsonline.com.gh