Community Focus Foundation Ghana (CFF-GH) has read with shock and total discomfort litany of reasons provided by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana as justification for the compilation of a new voters register against the hue and cry of the majority of Ghanaians.
Whilst we recognize and respect the constitutional and statutory mandate of the EC as the only state institution with the exclusive preserve to compile voters’ register, we are unable to sit down unconcerned and watch the EC deplete our limited resources on needless ventures such as the proposed new biometric register at the expense of the suffering Ghanaians.
CFF-GH considers the spirited arguments advanced by the EC in its Press Conference of Tuesday, 31st December, 2019 as flawed, not convincing enough to warrant the compilation of a new register for the 2020 general elections. If truly our electoral roll was defective as the EC claimed, why did the EC told the whole world that the register is credible but overstretched only to make a U-turn after the public displeasure about the new register during its press conference that the move to procure the biometric system is informed by advice from its IT personnel and external IT consultants? Who are we to believe now, the IT personnel the EC said were not well trained, the external consultants or the EC which seems to have taken an entrenched position on the matter for obvious reasons?
If the Commission’s argument that it would be prudent to acquire a new system, that is robust, modern and durable user-friendly with full functionality and warranties rather than refurbish the current system is anything to go by, what is the guarantee that the new system being proposed will not need any refurbishment at any point during its lifespan? Again, at what time did the EC realize that the current register which they claimed is credible but “overstretched” is NOT robust, modern, and durable user-friendly? Is it during the 2012 general elections, 2015 District Assemble Elections, 2016 general elections, 2018 referendum, where six new regions were created or the recent 2019 District Assemble Elections (DAE)?
Yes, the EC can assemble IT experts to write well-pieced technical IT language and splash it in the public domain in an attempt to outsmart Ghanaians and impose a new register on them but we want to remind our elections management body that they cannot take Ghanaians for granted any longer. The people of Ghana have the capacity to understand and appreciate what they need at what time. The Ghanaian tax payers are saying that compiling a new voters’ register is unnecessary and that an upgrade of the current one is more reasonable. The Electoral Commission must listen and take bold steps and upgrade the current system even if meekly and make it more robust and well positioned for credible elections in 2020.
Again, one of the most irritating arguments by the Commission during its press conference was that it would make more economic and operational sense to acquire the new system at a whopping sum of ¢444,846,663 than to keep the current system and refurbish it periodically.
We strongly disagree with the EC on the above assertion because the justification is vague, obnoxious and does not make any economic sense. We want to put on record that the colossal amount reportedly approved recently by the Ghanaian parliament need not be wasted on any new register but rather be channeled towards other sectors of the economy to bring some relief to the suffering and suffocating Ghanaian masses.
In fact, it is becoming increasingly difficult to comprehend why the EC is hell bent on compiling a new register at a time Ghanaians are left at the mercy of the harsh economic conditions. The contradictions and double standards by the EC as contained in its press conference is becoming one too many and this must be a worry to all Ghanaians for it is said that coming events cast their own shadows.
By this release, we are urging all Ghanaians to resist all machinations being employed by the Electoral Commission to compile a new biometric register with all our might because it is not worth our priorities as a people.
Signed
Mr. Richard Kasu
(EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CFF-GH)
0248640364