General News of Friday, 21 May 2004

Source: --

EC Used 2000 Registration Forms

The Director in charge of Elections at the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Albert Kofi Arhin, has attempted to quell speculations that the commission did a shoddy work in the just ended registration exercise.

These rumours, which are rife in town indicates that the EC used the 2000 registration forms in the registration of eligible voters for the 2004 upcoming General Elections, thus undermining the credibility of the elections. But the Director of Elections at the EC stated that the commission had already informed the public about this anomaly.

Speaking on Peace FM?s ?Kokrokoo? Morning Show on Friday, May 21st, Mr Arhin explained that the EC had to use 2000 registration forms as a ?stop-gap measure? because they run-out of OMR forms (Data collecting forms).

In addition, he said, the EC is in the process of transferring the data in the old (2000) forms into these new ones. Besides, he continued, there is virtually no difference between the 2000 and the 2004 (new) registration forms.

Pressed further as to why the EC failed to clear their materials from the Airport, since it arrived before the registration period expired, Mr Arhin explained that the EC did not have a ?one-go? letter that can help it (EC) clear everything. He further explained that they had to pen down ?Special Exemption? letters to cover all the logistics that the EC had imported. He, however, blamed this on administrative procedures at the Custom Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS).