General News of Monday, 6 July 2020

Source: angelonline.com.gh

Coronavirus: No insurance cover for EC registration officers

Director of Elections at the Commission, Dr Serebour Quaicoe Director of Elections at the Commission, Dr Serebour Quaicoe

The Electoral Commission (EC) is yet to insure the officers it has employed to help carry out ongoing voters’ registration exercise across the country.

Director of Elections at the Commission, Dr Serebour Quaicoe, revealed Monday on An?pa B?fo? on Angel 102.9 FM that, the EC is now engaging two insurance companies to see if they can help provide insurance covers for the registration officers.

“We have started discussions with two companies on insurance for the registration officers…they have presented proposals which we are currently considering…,” he told show host, Captain Smart, in Twi.

Many have argued that the continuous gathering of large numbers of potential voters at the registration centres could lead to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Concerns have also been raised about the insurance packages available for persons recruited by the Commission to help the EC carry out its constitutionally mandated duty.

But Dr Quaicoe said the Commission currently has compensation for any of its temporal staff of who will experience any form of damages during the exercise.

He could not, however, name the amount of money that will be offered as compensation to anyone who will fall victim to such occurrence.

“The compensation is based on the kind of damages and their lawyers will also come in when negotiation begins…,” he said.