Stop busing applicants to registration centres – EC reacts to violence
The Electoral Commission (EC) has discouraged busing of applicants for voter identification card registrations.
At the end of the third phase of the ongoing voter registration, the EC said it had detected increasing violence with the importation of applicants as a major cause.
“The alleged busing of applicants from elsewhere to register in electoral areas that these applicants do not reside or hail from is one of the underlying causes of the violence,” Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations at the EC, Mr Samuel Tettey said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
Consequently, the EC has cautioned persons involved in the act to desist forthwith.
“Political party agents are advised to refrain from busing applicants to registration centres”.
One of such violence was recorded at Steps to Christ registration centre Kasoa in the Central Region where the MP for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, admitted firing warning shots.
A scuffle between the Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Hawa Koomson, and the NDC Parliamentary Candidate Philis Naa Koryoo, resulted in gunshots and the burning of motorbikes.
EC officials conducting the registration exercise had to flee, bringing a temporary halt to the registration exercise in the area on Monday, July 20.
The cabinet minister said she was accompanied to the center by her men, who were unarmed after learning of people being bused to the registration centre by the NDC parliamentary candidate.
The EC subsequently condemned the development and called for investigations and prosecution to serve as a deterrent to others.
Mr Tetteh also dispelled accusations by the NDC that their agents are being prevented from gaining access to registration centres.
He said political parties were officially informed about the exercise to have their officials present.
Meanwhile, 9.8million people have registered and acquired voter identification cards as at July 20. This represents 65.7% of EC’s target of 15million people.
The registration exercise if currently in the fourth phase. The exercise started on June 20 and will end on August 6.