Don’t go to registration centres to ‘resolve issues’ – EC warns politicians

The Electoral Commission (EC) has cautioned politicians who visit registration centres to “resolve issues” to desist from such practices.

At a press conference on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, it urged aggrieved persons to rely on authorised mechanisms like the Commission’s district review committees to have their issues ironed out.

This caution followed the shooting incident during a confrontation at a registration centre in the Awutu Senya East constituency following suspicions that non-constituents were being bussed in to register.

The Awutu Senya East MP, Mavis Hawa Koomson, admitted she fired a gun at the registration centreduring the confrontation.

Also sparking controversy earlier on, the Tema West MP, Carlos Ahenkora, made his way to a registration centre whilst being COVID-19 positive.

Addressing the press conference, the Chairperson of the commission, Jean Mensa stressed that “no politician or Ghanaian is supposed to go to the centres to resolve issues.”

“We are not policemen of the registration and there are laid down procedures to follow in the event that you have issues with it.”

She assured that the district review committees, which are made up police, EC officers, police, among others, are well placed to deliberate on all challenges encountered during the registration process.

“So we encourage Ghanaians and politicians and what-have-you to go through the procedures that have been put down… when we try to resolve these issue on our own, we find that it leads to a chaotic situation,” Mrs. Mensa said.

Blaming EC unfair

The commission further denied culpability in the eruption of violence in Awutu Senya East which also saw persons assaulted and motorbikes set fire to.

A Deputy Chairman of the commission in charge of Operations, Samuel Tettey said blaming the EC for incidents of violence during the registration process are unacceptable and unfair.

“Security issues are the responsibility of the security agencies,” he argued.

“However, we also wish to state that we will continue to work with the security agencies to ensure peace and stability at all registration centres and this is what we have constantly been doing,” he added.

-CNR