Category: Politics

The ongoing nationwide limited voter registration exercise, has been delayed in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta region. Not a single voter identity card was issued as at 1030 hours at the Electoral Commission (EC) office registration centre in Hohoe. Information gathered by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) reveal that the delay was due to a software problem which is said to be nationwide. The EC officials are said to have reported the issue with the appropriate authorities and was being resolved. Miss Eugenia Kpodo, an 18-year-old, told the GNA that she was the first person to arrive at the Centre, but had not received her card as at 1030 hours saying, 'I was only told to sit down for a while and wait for my card.' Mr Francis Gonyuie, a first-time registrant, said he arrived at the Centre before 0700 hours, and it was his hope that the situation would be resolved. There are long queues at the Centre, mostly made up of students from the Hohoe E. P Senior High School. Canopies have been set up to make eli gible registrants feel comfortable while the centre also has a heavy security presence. Agents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), People's National Convention (PNC), Ghana Union Movement (Gum) and Convention People's Party (CPP) are present at the Centre. The exercise which begins Tuesday, May 7 and ends Monday, May 27, 2024 will be held daily including weekends from 0700 hours to 1800 hours. The EC office is the registration centre in addition to a mobile team which will be stationed at the Alavanyo Senior High Technical School on May 10 to May 12 and then move to Wli Todzi on May 13 to May 14, 2024. Source: Ghana News Agency

Technical challenges are hampering the National Voter's Registration Exercise at the La Dade Kotopon Municipality in the Greater Accra Region. The EC officials said even though the exercise started at 0800 hours, no one has successfully completed the process yet due to the hitches. As at 0915 hours when the GNA got to the venue, there was no Police presence and about 30 people were already seated waiting to go through the process. Mr Abass Lomo, Deputy Youth Organiser for the National Democratic Congress, La Dade Kotopon Constituency, and an agent, said he was not worried because he knew the network would be restored soon for the exercise to proceed. He urged Ghanaians and other stakeholders to remain patient and help to make the process a smooth one. However, agents of the New Patriotic Party expressed worry over the delay and urged the EC to do its best to solve the issue. Two siblings, Deborah Hammond and Derrick Hammond, 19 and 18 years respectively, said they had come to get themselves registered s o that on December 7, they could elect a leader who had the interest of the youth at heart. They urged the citizenry to come out in their numbers to partake in the exercise. Source: Ghana News Agency

The limited voters registration exercise scheduled to start at 07:00 hours is yet to commence at the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District office of the Electoral Commission (EC) more than four hours after the scheduled time. This is due to 'some nationwide technical challenges' with the Commission's registration kits which is making it difficult for the officials to log in their credentials as well a challenge with the network. The situation has created long queues at the EC's office as scores of registrants, including Senior High School students have thronged the centre in their numbers to partake in the exercise. There have been no physical agitations towards the officials, but many registrants, some of whom claim they arrived as early as 0400 hours, have expressed disquiet with situation. The district EC office is operating two centres; the main centre which has three different teams and a mobile centre dedicated for hard-to-reach communities. It was not clear if the mobile team had started with the process at the time of filing this report, but the main centre was yet to start as of 11:00 hours. Despite their frustrations, the registration centre is calm as registrants are seen sitting and standing and chatting in groups. Madam Eunice Bonsi, the District Electoral Officer, was confident of a stable network earlier in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) as she said unstable power supply was their challenge, but they had secured a generator set against that. 'Normally, if the light goes off, that is when we have network challenges but since we have a standby generator, when it goes off, that means we still have stable network,' she said. She said all materials necessary for the exercise were available and ready and was not anticipating any challenge in that regard. Madam Bonsi predicted a low turnout in this exercise due to the recently held one in 2023 few months back in which they registered about 4,000 new voters. She was hopeful that the entire exercise would be calm and peaceful. Source: Gh ana News Agency

Delays in setting up the software for registration of new voters in the Ablekuma North District Office of the Electoral Commission delayed the commencement of the exercise for more than two hours. Voting was advertised to commence at 0700 hours on Tuesday, but the first person, who had arrived at the registration centre as early as 0600 hours, went through the process at about 0950 hours. Staff of the EC had prepared and were ready to register voters by 0700 hours, but the technical hitch hampered their quest to begin the exercise on time. 'All our logistics are intact, but we are only waiting for the set up.' Mr Francis Opoku, EC Officer in charge of Ablekuma North Municipality, told the Ghana News Agency in an earlier interview. Mr Opoku said the Commission had targeted registering more than 3,600 new voters in the Municipality, adding that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure a smooth exercise throughout the 21-day period. 'We have a standby generator so in the event that the lights go of f, registration will continue,' he said. Turnout at the Ablekuma North registration centre was relatively high as at least 100 applicants, mainly young people who had turned 18 years, were seated prior to the official commencement of the exercise. Agents and constituency officers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) actively coordinated their activities on the ground. Mr Frederick Green, Ablekuma North Constituency Secretary, NPP, said the Party had deployed teams to visit households to encourage qualified voters to participate in the exercise. He said the Party acknowledged the delays experienced on the first day of the exercise and expressed hope that the situation would improve in subsequent days. Mr Daniel Torniyigah, Director of Elections, NDC, Ablekuma North, said the Party was satisfied with the collaboration with the EC thus far and hoped for a successful exercise in the entire registration period. 'So far so good. We have agreed that the EC will brief the parties every morning,' he said. Source: Ghana News Agency

The commencement of the ongoing Limited Registration Exercise at Keta in the Volta Region, has seen some delays due to a technical challenge. The Limited Voter Registration Exercise would allow new eligible voters who attained the age of 18 years and above to register ahead of the December polls. Mr Philip Adzomani, the Electoral Commission Officer at Keta, disclosed to the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the exercise had been delayed due to some technical hitches with the machines. 'We are facing some technical challenges in capturing the relevant information about the voters into the database,' he said. He, however, stated that the authorities have been informed of immediate action to resolve the challenges for a smooth and successful exercise. Mr Adzomani urged the new registrants and the public to exercise patience 'since our technical men would solve the challenges as soon as possible for the registration to resume.' The GNA observed that, as at 1000 hours, the EC could not register a single person into their database. Some new voters had queued for the exercise, as well as party agents present, expressed disappointment over the development. Meanwhile, the EC at Keta had also arranged for a mobile team which would be at Atiavi Glime L. A basic school, Lawoshime and Anyako/Sava for two days each, starting on Wednesday, May 8, and ending on Saturday, May 13, to register new eligible voters. The Limited registration for eligible voters commenced on Tuesday, May 7 would end on May 27, while persons with missing ID cards would have them replaced on May 30. Compilation of proxy votes and transfer of votes would also be held from May 30 to June 14. Source: Ghana News Agency