The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it is ready to partake in discussions with the Electoral Commission (EC) and the opposition parties over issues bordering on the new voters’ register.
The EC’s Eminent Advisory Committee has asked the various political parties to meet the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) to address concerns raised over the new register.
A total of eight opposition parties including the main opposition National Democratic Congress, are currently against the move and have vowed to use any means possible to have the EC abort the plan.
Calling themselves the Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voter Register, they even embarked on a massive demonstration in Tamale last Saturday with an assurance to stage such exercise in Kumasi and Accra in the coming days.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, the Director of Elections for the NPP, Evans Nimako welcomed the call for a meeting with IPAC, pledging to always play their part in supporting President Akufo-Addo.
“So yes they [the NDC] have their position but their position is not the law. This hypocrisy of the NDC cannot be contained. For us as NPP, we’ll keep on organising our party in a manner that will make it solid enough to support the Presidency of Nana Akufo-Addo. So they can do as many demonstrations as they want. We will honour any invitation by the EC to IPAC meetings. They had even told us way back in 2015 that if we have any concern we should come to IPAC and raise the issue,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has welcomed the decision by the EC’s Advisory Committee to meet IPAC over the new voters’ register.
Also speaking on Eyewitness News, General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, stated that even though they have not been officially notified with details of the meeting, they welcome the call since it has been long overdue.
“The content is very reconciliatory. This is all that we have been urging all along because we think that these matters should not have come this far if the Electoral Commission had listened to us from the beginning. And we believe we have a strong case so it is in our interest that as many Ghanaians from whatever walk of life will like to listen, and they will be convinced so we welcome that call”.
The call for a meeting
The Electoral Commission’s (EC) Eminent Advisory Committee had earlier served notice to the various political parties to meet the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) to iron out concerns raised over the new register while calling for calm amongst them.
This decision came after a meeting between officials of the EC and the Committee, over issues surrounding the decision to procure a new Biometric Voter Management System (BVMS) and compile a new voters’ register ahead of the 2020 polls.
“At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that the Electoral Commission and the Eminent Advisory Committee will meet with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) to have further deliberations on the matter,” a statement signed by Emile Short, the Chairman of the Committee indicated.
