CODEO has released a Situational Report on Day One of the On-Going Limited Biometric Voter Registration saying that so far, the registration exercise has generally proceeded smoothly, amidst intermittent rains in parts of the country.
As result, CODEO makes some specific observations based on field reports it received from its observers stationed at selected registration centers:
Below are CODEO’s observations:
Opening of Registration Centers
Many registration centers were able to open on time, with some centers opening slightly
later than the statutory 7:00AM time.
Most registration centers had all the required materials and equipment for the exercise.
However, D.A. JHS Banda Registration Center in the Bonwieso East Electoral Area of the
Krachi Nchumuru district of the Volta Region did not open.
Presence of Party Agents
Party agents mainly from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic
Party (NPP) were present at most of the centers observed. The Progressive People’s Party
(PPP) had agents in some few places.
Functioning of Biometric Devices and other equipment
Registration devices and equipment have generally functioned well.
However, there were a few instances of minor initial problems of malfunctioning
equipment and consequent long delays at some Centers. At the Palnaba Registration
Center in the Sarabogo-Deega Electoral Area in Pusiga in the Upper East Region, for
example, a faulty printer caused undue delay in the registration process, with no registrant
issued a voter ID as at 3:00PM today. This created a backlog of people in queue waiting to
register.
Compliance with registration rules and procedures
Registration officials largely complied with registration rules and procedures.
However, CODEO observers reported a few cases of registration officials wrongly
applying the registration requirement rule. At the Cholten Square, BOPP registration
Center in Odumase-BOPP Electoral Area in the Mpohor District of the Western Region,
registration officials were asking National Health Insurance (NHIS) cards from applicants
for proof of eligibility.
It also indicated that,
At the Jirapa Local Council Center in the Nayiri Electoral Area, Jirapa, Upper West
Region, a Data Entry Clerk skipped the registration process by taking the photograph of
the first registrant for the day, who had not gone through the interview process. The
situation was however rectified by the registration team and correct procedures were
subsequently applied.
Most applicants lacked any form of ID and resorted to the use of guarantors.
Abuse of the Challenge Procedure
Although the challenge process was generally observed in various registration centers,
there were a number of cases where the procedure was abused particularly by party agents.
Some party agents, particularly those representing the NDC and the NPP, seemed to be
outdoing each other by challenging applicants. Almost all the 20 registrants who had gone
through the registration process by 1:40PM at the Boadua Presby Primary School in the
Boadua East Electoral Area in the Dekyembuor district of the Eastern Region, had their
registration challenged by agents of either the NDC or the NPP. Similar incidents of abuse
of the challenge process were reported at other registration centers such as the Enyan
Maim Ahmadiyya Registration Center in the Enyan Maim Electoral Area in the AjumakoEnyan-Essiam district of the Central Region.
Party Agent Behavior
Some agents, mainly of the NDC and the NPP, engaged in unacceptable practices at some
registration centers. Party agents were initially collecting registration details of new
registrants after they had gone through the process at the Anglican Primary School in
Prampram registration center in the West Lower Prampram Electoral Area at the Greater
Accra Regions. Registration officials, however, intervened and curtailed the practice.
Recommendations
With its observation, CODEO urge all qualified citizens of Ghana to use the
remaining days of the exercise to get their names into the voters’ register, imploring all political parties, especially the NDC and the NPP, to call their gents to order at registration centers.
CODEO also calls on the Electoral Commission to quickly assess the conduct of today’s
exercise and address the issues to help improve the conduct of the registration in the
subsequent days.
Source; Newsghana.com.gh
