We have exceeded our target – EC announces over 15m registrations

The latest figures from the ongoing voter registration exercise indicate that over 15million applicants have been issued with new voter cards, the Electoral Commission (EC) has said.

In its update on Monday, August 3, Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Asare, indicated that registrations were 15, 117, 435.

This came after the final lap of the five-phase registration kicked in on Saturday, August 1.

With the EC setting a target of 15million registration prior to the exercise, Dr Bossman concluded, “We have exceeded our target”.

He is projecting over 16m registrations by the end of the exercise in one week.

At the end of the fourth phase on July 30, a total of 14, 367, 906 people had been registered. By the close of Saturday,  over 700,000 additional registrations had been added.

Registration of foreigners

Meanwhile, the election management body has condemned attempts by foreigners to register.

EC Chairperson, Mrs Jean Mensa, indicated that they will make sure everything is done to ensure a credible register for the 2020 presidential and parliamentary polls.

“We would like to assure all Ghanaians that we as a Commission will expunge their names and ensure that only Ghanaians are on the register,” she emphasised.

She said it was the desire that every eligible Ghanaian would be registered, hence a mop-up exercise which has kicked off in some centres that have already undertaken registrations.

Dr Asare revealed that one Nigerian had been convicted for attempting to register while some five Nigeriens have been arraigned at the same court.

The Kaneshie District Court on Tuesday sentenced Isaiah Chima, 31-year-old Nigerian, to six months imprisonment in hard labour for attempting to register in the ongoing Ghana Voters’ Registration Exercise.

Chima, a tailor, pleaded guilty to attempt to register as a voter contrary to Section 24 (a) of C.I. Election Regulation 1995 and was convicted on his plea.

The police are searching for individuals who served as guarantors for him.

The EC has therefore discouraged the practice and cautioned foreigners to “stay away from registration centres”.