Put Ghana first – Eminent Advisory Committee to parties

The Eminent Advisory Committee (EAC) of the Electoral Commission (EC) has urged the various political parties and stakeholders to put the interest of Ghana first in their deliberations over whether or not to compile a new voter’s register for the country ahead of the 2020 general elections.

EAC made the call in a statement signed by the Acting Director of Public Affairs of the Electoral Commission, Sylvia Annoh, following its meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) on Thursday, January 30, 2020, at the Coconut Groove Hotel in Accra.

The said meeting ended inconclusively after a fight broke out between the leader of Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Kofi Akpaloo, and General Secretary of Hassan Ayariga’s All People’s Congress.

The debate over the intended compilation of the new voter’s register has been highly polarized with partisan interest seemingly overriding national good.

According to the statement, the EAC “further encourages all parties to continue to use dialogue and consultative platforms to promote good governance and democracy in Ghana.”

During the meeting, the EC made a presentation on the need for a new Biometric Voter Management Solution and a new Voter’s Register.

Members of IPAC observed the need for the EC to clarify certain technical and administrative issues related to the new voter’s register compilation process.

“After the meeting, the EAC noted that, apart from information being shared among the parties, an opportunity for further dialogue was created,” the statement pointed out.