EC refutes bloating allegations as registered applicants hit 7.2 million

The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has rejected suggestions of inflating figures on registered persons for the new voter identification cards.

The EC has been providing regular updates of the exercise, which is currently in the third phase.

However, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the election management body of stuffing the numbers churned out from strongholds of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Responding to the allegations, Chairperson of the Commission, Jean Mensa, said it was not true that figures were being manipulated.

She emphasised at a press briefing on Friday, July 17, that “it was not so” that the numbers have been bloated at the head office.

She said statistics of the number of people registered are printed daily at the registration centres and shared among all stakeholders, including the agents from the various political parties to ensure transparency and integrity.

He acknowledged the possibility of “human errors” but emphasised that the EC was doing due diligence to address every issue.

She said they were committed to transparency and accountability, hence the regular updates on the exercise.

SHS and Prisons registration to proceed on July 18

The Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Asare revealed that the registration would be extended to the premises of Senior High Schools and Ghana’s prisons for eligible persons to be captured on the voter roll.

This will take place from July 18 across the country in areas where there are no registration centres inside the facilities.

Dr Bossman indicated more than two biometric voter registration workstations would be deployed to speed up the process of taking the particulars of applicants.

He said the fourth phase of the exercise would commence on Sunday and registration of pregnant women, the aged and persons with disabilities will continue at the district offices of the EC unabated.

90% of new Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits deployed

Three weeks into the registration, think tank IMANI Africa suggested that 40% of the BVR’s being used for the exercise were the old machines which the EC claimed were obsolete.

However, Dr Bossman discounted the claims indicating that 90% of the 8,530 new BVRs procured by the EC have been deployed for use.

He added that the rest are being kept as backups for the ones in use.

Dr Bossman said there were about 6,900 centres nationwide and it should not be difficult for critics to point centres with old kits for the EC to address the situation.

He entreated Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other critics to be “professional” in scrutinising the work of the EC and desist from rumour and falsehood.

He pointed out that the new kits are Dell-branded equipment while the old ones are HP. Additionally, the old kits have removable batteries, unlike the embedded ones on the new kits.

7.2 million people have registered for voter ID cards

As of Wednesday, July 15, a total of 7, 279, 237 people representing 48.5% of the EC’s projected 15 million have been issued with ID cards.

Four regions – Greater Accra, Ashanti Region, Central Region, and Eastern Region, constitute about 60% of those who have been registered.

The breakdown for all the regions is as follows:
Greater Accra – 1, 524, 600 (20.9%)
Ashanti Region – 1, 319, 498 (18.1%)
Ahafo Region – 144, 961 (1.6%)
Bono Region – 293, 284 (4.0%)
Bono East – 261, 503 (3.6)
Central Region – 676, 484 (9.3%)
Eastern Region – 694, 541 (9.5)
North East Region – 143, 715 (1.7%)
Oti Region – 148, 111 (2.0%)
Savannah Region – 126, 980 (1.7%)
Upper East Region – 251, 134 (3.5)
Upper West Region – 194 894 (2.7)
Volta Region – 147, 254 (6.1%)
Western Region – 440, 858 (6.1%)
Western North – 196. 809 (2.7%)
Northern Region – 434, 161 (6.0%).

Dr Bossman added that the EC was satisfied with the progress, which is manifested in the average 600 registrations daily.

He acknowledged large numbers in some centres in Accra leading to long queues and overcrowding.

The EC has therefore deployed more mobile teams to the Metropolitan and District Assemblies to address the situation.