General News of Saturday, 17 April 2004

Source: GNA

No changes in schedule to complete voters' registration exercise - EC

Ho, Apr. 17, GNA - Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) on Saturday said no changes had been made to the schedule for photo taking in the regions, to complete the voters registration exercise.

Dr Afari-Gyan who was interacting with journalists and some MPs after the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop for the Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislations in Ho, stressed that the dates on the slips given to those who registered, were still valid.

The Electoral Commissioner, evidently taken aback by queries from journalists about rumours of different days for those in the Volta Region said the EC was aware that any changes in dates would distort the programme and could not have done that.

Dr Afari-Gyan wondered where the news circulating about the changes emanated from and how long it had been spreading.

He said variations were made in respect of students who registered on campus taking into consideration the academic calendar of their various institutions and that any other report of a change for whole regions was false and certainly did not come from the EC.

Dr Afari-Gyan promised to cause announcements to be made to rectify any misconception created by the reports.

Earlier he told MPs, meeting to consider the Legislative Instruments for the establishment of 30 new districts and other issues related to it that, the EC, would do everything possible to ensure that all who registered took the photos.

Dr Afari-Gyan said in issues concerning creation of districts and constituencies, it was impossible to please everybody and repeated that the current replacement of the voters register was the best technically in the country.