The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has welcomed the Electoral Commission’s (EC) two-day extension of the ongoing voters’ registration exercise across the country.
The Coalition, which has been monitoring the exercise since its inception on May 7, 2024, said the two-day extension ‘is enough’ to cover for the ‘lapses’ that marred the first two days of the exercise.
Mr Albert Arhin, the National Coordinator, CODEO, told the Ghana News Agency that, ‘two days are enough to cover for the losses,’ adding ‘the exercise did not take-off well.’
‘There were few lapses at the initial stages of the exercise. For instance, machines were breaking down and sometimes the mobile teams were not at the difficult areas (per the schedule advertised)’
‘I’m sure that is enough reason the EC decided to give it a two-day extension and I think it is okay,’ he said.
The EC commenced the registration of new voters on May 7, 2024 and the exercise was initially scheduled to close on May 27, 2024.
The Commission in s
tatement dated Saturday, May 25, 2024, announced a two-day extension of the exercise across the country.
The Commission said the extension was to make up for the network challenges that characterised the first two days of the exercise.
The EC had earlier rejected calls for an extension, arguing that the 21-days allotted for the exercise was enough and that the proposed extension was not ‘feasible.’
The CODEO agreed with the Commission that the 21-days period for the exercise was enough for first-time voters to register.
The Coalition expressed concern about the abuse of the guarantor system in the ongoing registration exercise.
The CODEO said it had observed that representatives of political parties stationed at the registration centres had become ‘guarantor contractors’ for some applicants.
‘In future, we should try as much as possible to get every Ghanaian the citizenship identification card. You find that those doing the guarantor system are far too many.’ Mr Arhin said.
Source: Ghana News Agency