Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) director of legal affairs, has made it clear that the opposition party may file a legal challenge against the Electoral Commission’s decision to limit the new voter registration initiative to the Commission’s 268 district offices.
As part of its preparations for the 2023 District Level Elections, which will start on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, and end on Monday, October 2, 2023, the commission’s Chairperson, Jean Adukwei Mensa, has launched a new voter registration initiative.
The purpose of the new registration process is to give Ghanaians the opportunity to register who have attained the voting age of 18 since the previous registration in 2020, as well as those who are older but were unable to do so during the registration in 2020 for a variety of reasons.
NDC Fights EC Over Limited Registration
The majority of the new voters will be denied the opportunity to register, according to Mr. Tamakloe, who also stated that the NDC’s Legal Directorate will investigate legal alternatives to challenge the ruling.
By confining the registration to its district offices, he believes the commission is applying the law incorrectly.
“We will investigate all legal options to make sure we obtain a result that will enable the registration to be more decentralized. We will surely make sure that all of our MPs are appropriately safeguarded within the parameters of our law, he said.
The choice of the electoral commission to solely use its district offices as registration facilities, with District Electoral Officers, Assistant District Electoral Officers, and their secretaries acting as the registration authorities, has already drawn criticism from various political groups.
Some of their employees are also unhappy with the move to restrict registration to district offices, voicing concerns about a lack of funding for the commission.
Daily Guide sources claimed that staff allowances had been reduced and that the commission has no funding for the registration drive.