Election 2016: EC Is Deliberately Frustrating Potential Registrants In Ashanti Region- Wontum
The Ashanti Regional branch of the opposition New Patriotic Party has raised strong exception to the process being adopted by the Electoral Commission in the ongoing continuous registration exercise.
The party says it suspects deliberate frustration on the part of the electoral body to prevent potential registrants from getting their names on the register.
Addressing a press conference at the regional office of the EC to express the party’s displeasure, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, lamented that looking at the slow pace at which the exercise was being conducted, it is likely many more potential registrants would not have the chance to register.
According to him, the decision by the electoral body to adopt the VMS process rather than using the BVD machines in order to speed up the process, is responsible for the hiccups.
“You have all witnessed the long queues and the frustrations the people are going through; I want you to speak to them yourself and see how they feel so that when we are raising concerns, people will how legitimate they are,”
Mr. Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi said the attitude of the EC was inimical to the process, stressing that the electoral body was being lackadaisical towards the exercise.
“We have been here since morning and so far only few persons have been registered. We actually don’t know why the EC is behaving this way; there is every indication that they are working to satisfy the whims and capricious interest of the NDC and we will not accept that,” angry Chairman Wontumi pointed out.a
His assertion has been corroborated by many potential registrants who claimed to have been in a queue since morning but have not been registered.
The NPP regional boss therefore warned that his party will not accept any shoddy work from the EC, threatening that it will make sure every single individual gets his or her name in the register to participate in the upcoming elections.
He cautioned that any attempt by the EC to subvert the process in favour of the ruling party will be severely resisted.
“Let Beautiful Charlotte Osei understand that the EC exists to run elections for the people and not one particular party. She must execute her duty in a manner devoid of manipulations otherwise all these calls for peace will not materialize because we won’t allow the EC to subvert the will of the people,” He warned
Meanwhile, a deputy regional director of the EC, Mr. Lucas Yirdgh, has allayed fears of the opposition party and potential registrants, stressing that the commission was committed to the process and that every person will have his or her name registered.
According to him, the slow pace of the process was as a result of internet connectivity but was quick to add that such inconveniences will not in anyway affect the eventual outcome.
He said unlike the previous exercises, this current one was being done through an online system which he said was susceptible to failure.
Mr. Lucas Yirdgh however denied the assertion that the EC was deliberately frustrating registrants, adding that the Commission will at all times operate in a free, fair and transparent environment.
