John Mahama has cautioned EC against new voter’s register saying it could plunge the nation into turmoil
Former President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned the Electoral Commission (EC) against the compilation of a new voter’s register.
Reiterating the stance of the coalition against a new voters’ register, he said the time left for the general election is woefully inadequate to undertake the exercise.
Speaking to some Western Region fisher folks who paid a courtesy call on him at his Cantonments office Wednesday, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer said EC Chairperson, Jean Mensah, and her outfit will be held responsible if the country is plunged into turmoil after the 2020 general elections.
“So if on December 7, 2020, we all go to our polling stations to vote and the machines fail or a lot of people don’t find their names and the election doesn’t go down well, then what are we going to do.
“That is why we [Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voters’ Register] are telling Jean Mensah and her outfit that they should be careful,” he said.
Since the EC petitioned Parliament to approve GH¢444,846,663 for the compilation of a new voters’ register in December 2019, the Minority and some other opposition parties have vehemently fought against it.
They are unconvinced by the EC’s defence for the creation of a new register.
This resulted in the formulation of Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voters’ Register (IPRAN) made up of opposition parties including, NDC, All People’s Congress (APC) and People’s National Convention (PNC).
They have so far carried out three demonstrations in Tamale, Kumasi, and Accra to drum home their point.
Commenting on the matter publicly for the first time, Mr Mahama noted that Ghana has been a peaceful country since it gained independence and the Commission must ensure that that continues.
“Before you [Jean Mensah] became Electoral Commission [Chairperson] this country was peaceful, so don’t do anything that will bring chaos.
“It is not that we [IPRAN] want to just destroy things but the peace of this country is what is important. We have voted seven times [with the same voter’s register] and everything has gone one well, but why is that for the eighth time, you [EC] are saying you want to change the biometric voter’s register?” he questioned.
