NDC Communicator Explains Why Party Agents Are Needed For Votes Transfer, Challenges EC Ban
- The Electoral Commission has faced criticism from the NDC because of its ban on political party representatives in the voter transfer process
- Emmanuel Mettle-Nunoo explained to YEN.com.gh why the party feels the need to part of the transfer process
- The NDC kicked against the directive issued by the Electoral Commission to keep political party representatives from the vote transfer exercise
A member of the NDC communications team has highlighted the scepticism surrounding the Electoral Commission's directive to bar political party representatives from participating in the ongoing vote transfer exercise at its offices.
Emmanuel Mettle-Nunoo explained to YEN.com.gh the role party agents play in ensuring a transparent voter transfer process.
Source: Twitter
One of the NDC's main concerns with the process has been the prospect of gerrymandering to affect the outcome of certain parliamentary polls.
Per the Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) governing the elections, the Electoral Commission is not obliged to admit political party agents as observers of the vote transfer.
However, the commission must give copies of the list of votes transferred to political parties and candidates upon request.
The commission's directive came after three people were arrested following a clash at the Kasoa Electoral Commission office on Sunday, June 2, 2024.
In all, four people were wounded after the violence broke out around 5 am at the place, including the son of incumbent MP Mavis Hawa Koomson.
Mettle-Nunoo said this directive was unheard of and that the party agents were critical to efficiently enforcing the vote transfer criteria.
According to the criteria, only registered voters who have been residents for not less than two months before an election in a constituency other than that in which he is registered may apply to transfer their votes.
"If you look at all of these things and poitical party agents are no there to ensure that the requrienrs are being adhere to… it is going to cause a lot of problems for us. All these things give room for gerrymandering,” Mettle-Nunoo noted.
Other than this, the agents would have to wait till the exhibition of the register to identify problematic transfers.
He further reiterated concerns that the commission was not transparent enough and may be involved in a rigging attempt.
The NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, also said the move portends collusion with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to rig the upcoming December 7 general elections.
"What at all is the Electoral Commission hiding? What are they hiding for the reason that they are asking political party agents not to be there,” Nunoo questioned.
Violence during voter registration
YEN.com.gh reported that there was a clash between supporters of the NPP and NDC in Awutu Senya West on May 7, 2024.
The clash occurred during the first day of the voter registration exercise because of a dispute over the registration order.
The Asutifi South MP, Collins Dauda, was also arrested for alleged involvement in disturbances at Kukuom during the registration exercise.
One person sustained an injury and received treatment at the hospital following that incident on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
