Election 2020: NPP stalwart Appiah-Ofori joins NDC to kick against compilation of new register

- NPP stalwart, Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori, has kicked against the move by the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voters’ register ahead of the 2020 elections

- He rather suggested that the EC opened the electoral register for fresh voters to register and update the existing software to make it more efficient

- The EC's decision is backed by the ruling New Patriotic Party whiles the NDC says it will use all legitimate means to ensure it doesn’t happen

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The brouhaha about a new voters’ register continues to divide opinions in the country as many Ghanaians have expressed different views as to whether the Electoral Commission should go ahead with the processes of getting a new register or not for the December elections.

The latest to have expressed his view is New Patriotic Party (NPP) bigwig, Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori.

The former Member of Parliament for Assikuma-Odoben-Brakwa(AOB) seems to disagree with the EC and his political party.

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According to the anti-graft campaigner, the Electoral Commission should rather upgrade the current voters’ register instead of compiling a new one.

In an interview with the media, the NPP man said the EC does not need to discard the current register entirely but rather upgrade it by registering fresh voters and removing names of the dead from the register.

"The register and the IT systems only need an upgrade and not to be discarded entirely."

He further explained that “in the face of the raging coronavirus pandemic and strain on limited resources, there is no need to throw out everything and acquire totally new infrastructure when the present system could be augmented and made capable of performing the task."

Mr. Appiah-Ofori also urged the Electoral Commission to replace all faulty equipment and acquire new hardware to augment the existing stock and work with the existing systems.

The former legislator added that the EC cannot unilaterally declare that the whole system was useless and saddle the nation with the cost of a new one, especially when the only foundation for its (EC) assertion was not in tandem with the reality.

READ ALSO: Coronavirus pandemic: Ghana’s case count is now 7,303

Lastly, he noted that politicians should also desist from bastardizing the EC for not towing to their mischievous whims and caprice.

Ghana’s Electoral Commission on Wednesday, May 27, announced that it will go ahead with the compilation of a new voter register during an IPAC meeting.

The EC’s decision has faced opposition from the biggest minority political party, the NDC.

The NDC and some political parties hold the view that there is no need for a new register when the current one has no major defects and credibility issues.

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the NDC has hinted that it will not be present for the Electoral Commission’s crucial Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

The NDC’s deputy general secretary, Peter Boamah Otokunor noted that the IPAC meeting to be held by the EC is illegitimately called hence the party’s decision not to attend.

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Source: YEN.com.gh