General News of Monday, 9 May 2016

Source: kasapafmonline.com

Don’t extend limited registration exercise – NDC tells EC

Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo

Director of Elections for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo says calls for the extension of the just ended limited registration exercise must be discarded by the EC, adding that such consideration will rather create an open ended situation for the election management body.

He has asked the EC to stay focus and stick to its plans, instead of allowing itself to be pressured by the public.

“I think if you give Ghanaians even one month, on the last day you’ll have the same problem. Ghanaians will want to stay and wait till the last day to go and register. The EC from the onset had some targets, and we’re expecting that by the close of the day it will come out with a report to confirm whether or not it was able to reach its targets. If indeed they were able to reach their targets then I will urge them to go ahead with their time-table,” Ofosu Ampofo told host Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa FM Monday.

Many eligible voters and political party activists in the country have called on the EC to extend the the period of registration for the just ended limited registration exercise.

The exercise ended yesterday with many expressing dissatisfaction with the limited time allocated for the process.

However, in an interaction Mr Ofosu Ampofo said the EC is under pressure to meet all its schedules before the November polls including exhibition of the register, and cleaning of the register to ensure it has a credible electoral register before the polls, hence wasting time on one particular process will not benefit them.

He said inasmuch it’s relevant to open the process for more to register,timing is also of the essence.

For him, a supposed proposal for a continuous registration put before the various parties to make inputs for consideration will obviously address the inadequacies in the whole process.