EC Has Not Ruled Out Error On Voters’ Register

The Electoral Commission (EC) has said that it is possible there might be an error on the voters’ register that was given to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) by its office. The NDC has claimed that it has obtained a copy of the voters’ register from the EC which contained a larger number of registered voters in parts of the Ashanti region than what the EC has publicly declared. The NDC then accused the EC of bloating the register, and called for an enquiry into the matter. Another political party, the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) has corroborated this claim by the NDC, which it supported with a letter from the EC, indicating the EC has given the party a copy of the voters’ register. As a result, the EC set up a three-man committee internally, to investigate the matter. The political parties, however, have asked the EC to include them on the committee, a demand the EC has declined, saying it will bring the parties in only when it is necessary. Speaking to Joy News, Mr. Samuel Yorke Aidoo, Acting Head of Public Affairs at the EC, said, the EC welcomes the interventions of the NDC and GCPP, and added that the EC is making its own internal investigations and it has faith in the committee to do a good job. He also said any issue raised by the parties would be examined and properly addressed. He said, because the putting together of a voters’ register is a collective affair by the EC which is a human institution, errors could occur just as in any human institution and therefore, he does not think that the matter should be blown out of proportion. Mr. Yorke Aidoo admitted on the news that there could have been an error, because the EC is susceptible to making mistakes and promised that the internally constituted committee should be able to detect any error, if indeed there were errors and effect the necessary corrections before the voters’ register is opened for revision by May 2008.