General News of Monday, 6 July 2020

Source: GNA

Refrain from needless nationality challenges - EC warns party agents at registration centres

Deputy Electoral Commissioner, Eric Bossman Asare Deputy Electoral Commissioner, Eric Bossman Asare

The Electoral Commission (EC) has warned political party agents across the country to stop baselessly challenging the nationality of persons who turn up at the various registration centres to partake in the ongoing registration exercise.

Close to 2 million Ghanaians have registered their names since the EC commenced the registration exercise, deputy EC Chairperson Dr. Bossman Asare disclosed in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme on Monday, July 6, 2020.

In order to ensure non-citizens of Ghana don't get their names into the new voters' register, the Commission has provided room for political party agents and any Ghanaian to pick up a challenge form to dispute the nationality of persons they are suspicious about.

But the EC is however admonishing the party agents not to abuse their right.

EC Chairperson in charge of Operations, Samuel Tettey also speaking on 'Kokrokoo', asked for sanctions to be meted out to political party agents who engage in needless challenges.

"We plead with the political parties to minimize those needless challenges. From experience, the stronghold of some political parties deliberately frustrate the system by just challenging them. Going forward, if this system still persists, we should have a penalty or some sanctions for the persons whose challenge is needless and baseless just to deter them," he said.