NDC joins EC pilot registration exercise

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is participating in the Electoral Commission (EC) pilot voter registration exercise.

The party has therefore directed its regional executives to attend the programme, an indication that when the registration finally takes of later parts of the month the NDC party may participate against its avowed opposition.

The exercise commenced today, June 2, 2020, and is taking place across the 16 regional capitals of Ghana.

In a statement signed by its Director of Elections, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, the NDC directed “five persons including two Regional Executives, two persons of the Regional directorate and an IT personnel to attend.”

“Attendants are to observe the following: the time it takes for a voter to go through the registration process, the process of guarantorships and the time it takes,” it further directed.

It says the EC invited one Regional party officer to observe the exercise which is expected to end on June 3.

According to the EC, the essence of the exercise is to identify problems associated with the new biometric registration system, including its effect under various weather conditions and find ways of mitigating them.

The EC says “all issues identified will be forwarded to the Commission at the national level for the necessary rectifications to be made before the commencement of the exercise at the end of this month.”

“All Ghanaian citizens of 18 years and above and of sound mind are expected to register where they reside when the exercise begins; with either a Ghanaian passport or Ghana card as proof of identification or have two guarantors who have already registered as voters so they can register.”

“Safety measures will be put in place at all registration centres throughout the country to protect applicants, who are mandated to wear nose masks to the registration centres,” it stated.