No political party raised concerns about revised provisional voters register - EC

The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has announced that no political party submitted any concerns regarding the revised Provisional Voters Register (PVR) following its re-exhibition last month.

During the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on 15 October, the EC provided political parties with soft copies of the revised PVR and a template for reporting any discrepancies. The re-exhibition exercise ran from 15 October to 19 October 2024, during which parties were encouraged to review the register and report any issues.

According to the EC, however, no political parties raised concerns during or after this period.

On 6 November 2024, the EC distributed soft copies of the Certified Voters Register to all registered political parties and independent presidential candidates, fulfilling its commitment to release the final register within the first week of November. This action was in line with Sub-Regulation 4 of Regulation 27 of Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) 91. The EC has assured stakeholders that the final voters' register is “robust and credible,” calling for public support in delivering a fair, transparent, and credible election on 7 December 2024.

Speaking to political party representatives in Accra on Wednesday, EC Chairperson Jean Mensa highlighted the significance of this milestone, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to an impartial electoral process.

“At the meeting of IPAC on the 15th of October, we indicated that this presentation would be made to you at the end of the first week of November,” Mensa explained. “However, with the help of God, we have been able to do that two days before the 8th which signifies the end of the first week of November.”

Mensa further disclosed that during the re-exhibition of the PVR, a total of 158 issues were raised by voters across the country. She assured stakeholders that all issues had been resolved, and the final voters' register was now well-prepared to support a “credible, transparent, fair, peaceful, and glorious election” in December.

A statement signed by Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman of Operations at the EC, confirmed the Commission’s readiness for the electoral process and outlined the various lists included in the voter data provided to political parties on external hard drives. These lists encompassed the Valid Voters Register, Exceptions List, Multiples List, Transferred Voters List, Absent Voters List, Manual Verification List, Proxy Voters List, and Special Voters List.

During the presentation, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) requested a summary of the data lists included in the register. Although the EC is not legally required to supply this breakdown, it agreed to provide a regional summary as a gesture of transparency. The EC further committed to delivering the summaries to political parties after generating the data.

The statement from the EC also reiterated that since 1992, it has provided political parties with soft copies of the Certified Voters Register without additional statistical breakdowns. However, in response to the NDC’s request, the EC is compiling the additional summaries to enhance transparency in the electoral process.

With preparations advancing, the EC has appealed to all stakeholders and the public to support its mission for free, fair, and credible elections on 7 December.

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