The Electoral Commission (EC) has taken a daring step by demanding hard evidence from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to back up claims of irregularities in the Provisional Voters Register (PVR).
Concerns about possible flaws in the voter registration procedure had been voiced by the NDC, which cited problems with deleting registered voters, transferring people without their names appearing on the Absent Voter List, and illicit voter transfers.
Draft Register
But according to the EC, the PVR is only a draft register, and in order to assure the register’s legitimacy, Constitutional Instrument 91 (C.I. 91) offers procedures for cleaning and updating it.
“The PVR is not a final document,” said an EC spokesperson. “It’s a draft that undergoes scrutiny and correction before the final register is produced.”
Exhibition Exercise
The EC also underlined the significance of the Exhibition Exercise, which allows voters to confirm their information, spot and fix mistakes, and establish the register’s legitimacy by displaying it online and at polling places.
Comprehensive Process
In order to create the Final Voters Register, the EC established an eight-step procedure that included registration, adjudication, exhibition, and verification.
NDC’s No Evidence
The NDC promised to give the EC statistics on disparities, but hasn’t given the EC the supporting documentation yet.
“We cannot investigate allegations without concrete evidence,” said the EC spokesperson.
EC’s Assurance
The Commission does, however, reassure interested parties of its dedication to a legitimate and transparent electoral process.
