Voter registration: Absence of emerging political parties making waves in Ghana’s political space – AEI

Africa Electoral Institute (AEI) has made on over view on the just ended limited registration.

In a statement the Institute as part of the over view touched on the absence of emerging political parties making waves in Ghana’s political space in  just ended voter registration exercise.

Below is the full statement

PRESS RELEASE

TO: ALL MEDIA HOUSES
DATE: 29TH MAY, 2024

AN OVERVIEW OF THE LIMITED VOTER REGISTRATION EXERCISE CARRIED OUT BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION(EC) OF GHANA 7th MAY TO 27th MAY 2024.

A REPORT FROM THE AFRICAN ELECTORAL INSTITUTE (AEI).

The African Electoral Institute  (AEI) has since the beginning of the Limited voter Registration which started from 7th  to 27th May 2024, plus an extension of two(2) days has been very busy on the field bringing to the attention of the authorities and Ghanaians every detailed information or happenings in relation to the just ended Limited Voter registration exercise and wish to brief you on our findings, observations and to also make some suggestions and recommendations for the Electoral Commission, the Police, Political Parties and the general public to guide all of us going into the future .

We the African Electoral Institute  (AEI) wish to first of all commend the Electoral Commission for successfully carrying out the Limited voter registration exercise  across the country successfully despite the initial challenges encountered.

The Institute (AEI) will equally want to commend the Security Services, especially the Ghana Police in particular for policing the Limited Voter Registration exercise to a successful end amidst the handful of personnel deplored  in some areas.

Equally, the African Electoral Institute will want to commend all Ghanaians and the Political Parties including Civil Society Organizations, opinion leaders and chiefs, especially the REGISTRANTS for showing keen interest in the registration exercise.

CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED DURING THE LIMITED VOTER REGISTRATION EXERCISE.

Some of the challenges observed by the African Electoral Institute include but are not limited to the following;

1. Late starting of the exercise, especially the first day and some other days during the duration of the exercise, which raised a lot of concerns.
2. Non-functioning of the Electoral Commission’s machines provided for the exercise due to technical challenges.
3. Intermittent internet or non-connectivity of the registration machines due to network challenges. This necessitated the Electoral Commission’s directive for such centres to switch to the off-line registration, which is difficult to police.
4. Irregular supply of power from the national grid, which disrupts the smooth running of the process when it happens. It must, however, be mentioned that some centers had stand-by generators, which they relied on in times of power outage.
5. Interference in the registration exercise by some political bigwigs to get people registered was also observed by the African Electoral Institute . This issue was one of the major causes of the chaos we witnessed in some centres during the registration.
6. Challenges by the Electoral Commission to bring out or publish the correct or accurately collated figures of registrants became a topic of discussion at a point that could have been avoided
7. Alleged registration of minors in collusion with some political stakeholders and even some Electoral Commission officers was observed by the African Electoral Institute.
8. The Institute (AEI) further observed that bussing of potential registrants to registration centres by political parties and some individuals equally created a lot of challenges to the Electoral Commission officials and the security personnel.

OBSERVATIONS MADE

The African Electoral Institute (AEI) also made the following observations during the Limited Voter Registration Exercise.

1. The high number of potential registrants who turned up to register, some times overwhelmed the Electoral Commission’s officers.
2. That whilst some registration centers had more security personnel, other centers were not, thus creating problems for them as witnessed in some areas.
3. It was also observed in some registration centres that some officials of the Electoral Commission colluded with some party bigwigs to register people of questionable ages and residential status in the area.
4. The African Electoral Institute further observed that some registrants had difficulty locating and accessing the registration centres because the centres were not properly or sufficiently advertised in terms of location.
5. It was equally observed that anytime the rains are falling, some registration centres come to a halt or are disrupted because the registrants are sheltered under tents or canopies, which doesn’t provide enough cover from the rain;and the vagaries of the weather in general.
6. The African Electoral Institute also observed that some officials abused the guarantor system by guaranteeing more than necessary people as stipulated by the law
7. Another observation made by the African Electoral Institute (AEI) was that, whilst the two major parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress (NPP and NDC) had agents monitoring the registration exercise across all the registration centers, same can not be said of the other Political Parties.

Thus, AEI further observed the conspicuous absence of agents of other political parties in the just ended  LIMITED VOTERS REGISTRATION EXERCISE.

AEI therefore UNDERSCORES THE FACT THAT ELECTIONS IS A PROCESS, and the process has started with the   LIMITED VOTERS REGISTRATION EXERCISE, and the rest of  EC’S  programmes till  7TH DECEMBER,  2024.

And so it was very important for political parties in good standing with the EC to have participated in the Limited Voters registration exercise.

Per  the Public Elections Regulations( Voter Registration) C.I 91 regulation: 10

(2) The Commission may authorise or give an opportunity to

(a) an agent of a registered political party;

(b) an interested body; or

(c) any other person

to observe activities at a registration centre during the period set aside for registration.

(3) The names of agents of registered political parties shall be submitted to the

Commission not later than seven days before the start of registration.

AEI has also noticed the absence of emerging political parties making the waves in Ghana’s political space.Though most of them are not formally registered,  we expected  them to obtain observation status per regulation 10 (2) (b)  and (c) of C.I 91 to take part in the Limited Voters registration exercise.

AEI wish to let the other political parties know that their existence is not only to appear on ballot papers but also to participate in any process that seeks to deepen the democratic processes of the nation and should not leave such responsibility on the shoulders of the two political parties ie NPP and NDC.

SUGGESTIONS/ RECOMMENDATIONS

The African Electoral Institute haven enumerated to you some of the challenges that bedeviled the Limited voter registration exercise including the observations mentioned above, African ElectoralInstitute(AEI) hereby make the following suggestions or recommendations for the perusal and possible adoption  by the Security agencies,  the Electoral Commission,  political parties and all stake holders going into any future electoral process especially the coming general elections on 7th December 2024.

1. That the Electoral Commission before dispatching their electoral machines or equipment unto the field should first of all make sure that they are in good working conditions by testing them.
2. That the Electoral Commission should ensure that adequate arrangements are put in place to make sure that the process starts on time without delay.
3. That the Electoral Commission should ensure that all electoral materials arrive at the voting centres as early as possible to avoid any anxiety or suspicions from the public.
4. That the African Electoral Institute further recommends that, the Electoral Commission trains all its officials taking part or deployed for the electoral exercise especially on the code of conduct or ethics of the commission to guide them in their work.
5. AEI, further recommend that the Security Services or Agencies provide enough personnel to police the process and to behave professionally to avoid any suspicion of bias by anyone or a political party
6. That the Security personnel should endeavour to make sure that all trouble makers at the election centres are quickly arrested and whisked away to prevent a disruption of the process.
7. That the authorities in charge of security should put in place stand by or reinforcement teams in all the constituencies to be called upon in case of any chaos or disturbances at any centre.
8. The African Electoral Institute further suggests that the security agencies should consider all voting centres as hot spots and do the needful.
9. The AEI also recommends that the Electoral Commission should involve the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) in any process that concerns them for greater transparency and fairness.
10. The African Electoral Institute wish to urge or encourage all the Political Parties to take keen interest in all activities of the Electoral Commission and not leave it to the two major political Parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress (NPP and NDC) by participating fully .
11. That all political parties representatives should endeavour to be at the voting centers where they have been assigned or accredited as early as possible even before the arrival of the electoral officials and voting materials.
12. The Police should demarcate some areas of the voting centre as no-go area for non voters except people with accreditation and ensure it is strictly observed as such.
13. The African Electoral Institute further suggests that the Electoral Commission puts in adequate measures to feed their officials from their own source to prevent a situation of any one giving them food that maybe misconstrued or misinterpreted.
14. The AEI also recommends that the state resource the National Commission on Civic Education adequately to enable them to carry out their duties of educating the public on their civic rights and responsibilities.
15. The African Electoral Institute wish to recommend or urge the Police and the Electoral Commission to enforce all the electoral laws to the letter and prosecuting where necessary to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to indulge in any electoral malpractice.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the  African Electoral Institute has as one of it’s core objectives, to deliver sustainable electoral solutions to emerging and developed democracies by advising or suggesting measures to Electoral Institutions and other bodies such as the Security Agencies and Political Parties with the aim of having free , fair, transparent and acceptable outcomes in our democratic forward match

The Institute (AEI) as a civil Society Organization views elections every where very seriously because we know what disputed elections can bring about, hence our advocacy for all to always play their part as expected and professionally so that at the end of every election process, things are done  very well such that, the end results are accepted by all as being the true representation of the will of the people.

SIGNED:
Augustus  Eshun
(Director of Communications and External Relations)
Tel 024-460 9891

Deputy Director of Communications and External Relations

Nii Adjin  Adjin- Tettey

0540904550

3rd Dep. Director of Communications and ExternalRelations

Emmanuel Biri

0538421573 (WESTERN REGION AND CENTRAL REGION)

Ex WO1 Alhaji Yussif Mahamah, Head- Electoral Security Department

0243311965

The African Electoral Institute ( AEI) is a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) founded to deliver sustainable electoral solutions to Emerging and Developed Democracies to strengthen, augment, and build electoral stakeholders capacity and participation on electoral issues through electoral education on voter’s rights and freedom, electoral research, election monitoring, election observation, election results collation, election security awareness and training of polling agents and elections directors underscoring the fact that “elections are won at the polling stations’’ and the participation of all identifiable electoral stakeholders in an electoral process such as Political Parties, Governmental Institutions, underpinning transparency and accountability for a free, fair, and credible elections in Africa and the wider world.

Motto: “Integrity of Choice”