Whip up interest in voter registration exercise - Veep urges Electoral Commission

The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, has implored officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) to embark on a more vigorous campaign to whip up public interest in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.

Mr Amissah-Arthur, who was on a two-day working visit to the Western Region and made time to visit some registration centres yesterday, expressed concern over the low turnout since the beginning of the exercise last Monday.

He underscored the need for the EC to do more to ensure that majority of prospective voters were captured in the exercise.

At the Methodist Secondary School West Electoral Area in Sekondi, the registration officer, Mr George Eshun, told the Vice-President that as of Wednesday, 168 people had registered and the exercise had so far been smooth.

He expressed the hope that as the deadline for the exercise drew closer, many Ghanaians in their typical last-minute fashion would avail themselves to register.

At the Ekuasi Electoral Area, the registration officer, Mr Philip Gbogah, blamed the late opening of the centre on the fact that some of the officers lived far away.

Mr Eshun said as of Wednesday, 86 people had gone through the process. It was, however, observed that as of 7a.m., registration had not started at the centres visited.

The next centre the Vice-President visited was the Nkontopo AME Zion Electoral Area where at the time of the visit, 79 people had been registered.

The registration officer, Ms Kate Annan, in a response to a question from Mr Amissah-Arthur, stated that people within the 18-19-year-old age group recorded a high turnout, although the numbers were low on the whole.

The Vice-President had earlier visited the Old CHC Electoral Area where he was briefed by the registration officer, Mr Justice Koranteng.

Impression

The Vice-President, who gave his impression about the exercise, remarked that “we want 100 per cent participation.” 

He said the young ones who should rather take interest in the exercise seemed disinterested.

Mr Amissah-Arthur was accompanied by the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, district chief executives and other government functionaries.

Fact sheet

The limited voter registration exercise began smoothly on the first day but with reports of low turnout at all the registration centres nationwide.

It is targeted at those who could not register in previous registration exercises before the 2012 elections and those who turned 18 after the 2012 election.

It is expected to end on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 at all 6,000 registration centres across the country.

Writer’s email: Sebastian.syme@graphic.com.gh