The Progressive People’s Party has denied endorsing the decision by the Electoral Commission to compile a new voter’s register.
It was reported in today’s edition of Daily Graphic that the party has endorsed the compilation of a new Voter’s register.
But the party in a statement on Wednesday, 8th January 2020 stated that the compilation of any new voters register without the utilization of the National Identification System infrastructure is needless and a waste of precious and scarce resources of the Republic of Ghana.
The party added that “the Electoral Commission (EC) conducted the district assembly elections using the same register that was used in 2016 to elect the MPs and President Nana Akufo-Addo. With one year to the general elections in 2020, we do not think that the compilation of the new voters’ register is a necessary project to pursue”.
“Our reasons for not supporting this project are not political. It is situated in economics and development. Our position on the multiplicity of national ide”. The party added.
Below is the full statement
For Immediate Release
*8th January, 2020*
*A NEW VOTERS’ REGISTER WITHOUT NIA IS NEEDLESS – PPP!*
The Progressive People’s Party has become aware of a publication in today’s edition of the Daily Graphic regarding our position on the ongoing debate on the compilation of a new voters’ register. We would like to take this opportunity to state our official position on the matter of the compilation of a new voters’ register. We believe that the compilation of any new voters register without the utilization of the National Identification System infrastructure is needless and a waste of precious and scarce resources of the Republic of Ghana.
It is in this respect that we were gravely concerned and disappointed at the news that the Parliament of Ghana approved the budget for the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 elections. We were disappointed not least by the excessive partisanship that characterised the approval by the NPP majority in parliament but more so when we, the government and people of Ghana, have launched and begun the implementation of the GhanaCard under the auspices of the National Identification Authority (NIA).
The late President John Evans Atta-Mills, famously said often in Fante, *“woye adze a ohia ansaana woaye adze a ofata”* meaning “you do what is necessary before you do what maybe wanted”. On the eve of Christmas, the NPP caucus in Parliament pushed through a GHC440 million approval to fund a new voters’ register. A few days before that, the Electoral Commission (EC) conducted the district assembly elections using the same register that was used in 2016 to elect the MPs and President Nana Akufo-Addo. With one year to the general elections in 2020, we do not think that the compilation of the new voters’ register is a necessary project to pursue.
Our reasons for not supporting this project are not political. It is situated in economics and development. Our position on the multiplicity of national ide.
Source: ghfactsonline.com /Suhiyini Yakubu Abdul Mumin
