By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The leader and founder of the Movement for Change (M4C) and presidential hopeful of the Alliance for Revolutionary Change (A4RC), has joined forces with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to backed calls for Ghana’s electoral management body, the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct a forensic audit of the 2024 Voter Register.
The presidential candidate for A4RC has again suggested that the EC sets up a high-level Technical Working Group (TWG) chaired by the Commissioner to oversee the process from September 30 to October 11.
In a statement issued and signed by the Director of Elections Planning and Coordination for M4C, Nana Ohene-Ntow, to the EC on behalf of Mr Kyerematen dated September 23, called for, “The establishment of a high-level Technical Working Group (TWG) chaired by the EC, with representatives of Candidates cleared to contest the General Elections, and the Consultants responsible for the EC data management.
The Technical Working Group it said would agree on the process and procedures for a full and comprehensive audit of the current Voter Register, based on the following source documents: a. The final 2020 Voters Register, b. Limited Registration information since 2021, c. Voter Transfers affected since 2021, and d. Special Voters Lists since 2020 to date.
Each member of the Technical Working Group ought to be provided access to original copies of the listed source documents, and facilitated to determine the veracity of the entries in the said documents.”
The statement also requested that Representatives of Candidates cleared to contest the General Elections, who have written evidence of any compromised data in respect of the current Voter Register, submit same to all members of the Technical Working Group, before the start of the audit process.
The final outcome of the collaborative comparative process it noted would be deemed to be the Final Voters Register for the conduct of the 2024 General Elections.
Mr. Kyerematen said the proposed process outlined above mirrors a “forensic audit” being advocated for by a section of the Ghanaian public and ought to come up with a voter register acceptable to all contestants and voters in the upcoming 2024 General Elections.
“The timeline proposed for the exercise is from the 30th of September, 2024 to the 11th of October, 2024. This would enable the EC to release a Final Voters Register by the 14th of October 2024.
M4C and ARC believe that approaching the resolution of the doubts around the Voters Register in such a joint manner ensures transparency of intent that would settle any lingering issues around the Voters Register, and position the country for a free, fair, transparent, and credible General Elections on December 7, 2024,” part of the statement read.