Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu has urged the Electoral Commission to put aside its decision to compile a new voters' register and rather concentrate on conducting the limited registration exercise.
According to him, the number of people who will take part in the limited registration exercise is smaller and can be managed than the numbers for a new voters' register.
Election 2020
Martin Kpebu who was contributing to a panel discussion on UTV's "Critical Issues", said even though there is the need for the country to vote in December 7, 'we are not prepared for a new register'.
"As for the election; we need to vote…but I am not in support of a new voters’ register but I'm all for a limited voters’ registration. We are not prepared for a new register; at this moment we need money and so they should manage the old register…we used the old register for the last election. We’ve spent a lot of money in this corona period..."
Some political pundits including the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been raising issues over the EC's insistence on compiling a new voters' register despite the increasing number of infections.
While some question how the EC intends conducting the exercise without flouting the COVID-19 measures, others wonder how the social distancing rule can be observed.
Martin Kpebu insists there is no need to risk anyone's life for 'political gain'.
"We don’t have to risk our lives for political power…" he added.
EC Unrelenting
The EC since last year has justified why it needs to compile a new voters' register for the 2020 general elections.
The electoral body claim it will ensure a more credible and efficient election than the existing one.
Madam Sylvia Annor, Head of Public Affairs at the EC in an interview on the same platform allayed the fears of Ghanaians insisting that the Commission is putting measures in place to ensure the safety of Ghanaians.
According to her, since Ghanaians are still going to the bank and visiting market places, a new voters register can equally be compiled.
Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com
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IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS WE FIND THE TRUE CALIBER OF PERSONS, WHO . IT IS SAID THAT THE TOUGH KEEPS GOING WHEN THE GOING BECOMES TOUGH. WE SEEK TO CHOOSE MEDIOCRITY IN AFRICA AND STOP TO LOOK FOR THE BEST. WHEN TRANSPORT DRIVERS FIND FAULTS WITH THEIR VEHICLES. THEY REFUSE TO TO MAINTENANCE IMMEDIATELY. THEY CHOOSE TO MAKE THE NEXT TRIP BEFORE THEY DO THE MAINTENANCE. THIS CAUSE ACCIDENTS TO CLAIM SO MANY LIVES ON OUR ROADS. SOME TWISTED MINDS INCORRECTLY BELIEVE THAT BY SACRIFICING HUMAN BEINGS IN SOME FORM THEY CAN SUCCEED IN LIFE. WE HEAR ABOUT IT AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COWARDLY AND IRRESPONSIBLY FAIL TO ACT DILIGENTLY TO APPREHEND THE CRIMINALS WHO FALSELY CLAIM TO BE MEN OF GOD AND TRADITIONALISTS . MANY GOOD PEOPLE ARE READY TO PROVIDE CONCRETE INFORMATION BUT USED TO BE AFRAID FOR THE FEAR OF BEING EXPOSED WITHOUT PROTECTION. THEY FEAR THE INACTION OF THE POLICE. THANKS TO KEN AGYAPONG, NET2 AND THE NEW POLICE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHANGE OF THE SITUATION. WE AL CONDEMN CORRUPTION BUT NOBODY IS PASSIONATE TO FIGHT IT. SOME OF US CONDONE TO CORRUPTIONN BY THE SYMPATHY WE SHOW TO THE CORRUPTT OFFICIALS. THEY DEFEND THEM OR PLEAD FOR THEM. FOR THE ELECTIONS, WE KNOW FROM SUPREME COURT RULINGS AND STATEMENTS FROM ELECTORAL COMMISSION SINCE THE TIME OF AFARI GYAN THAT THE CURRENT VOTERS REGISTER IS FAULTYY. IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. SADLY SOME PERSONALITIES WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO KNOW BETTER APPEAL TO COVID-19 OR MAKE BASELESSS ARGUMENTS TO ATTACK THE THE PROCESS TO CORRECT AND REPLACE THE REGISTER. LIKE THE IRRESPONSIBLEE DRIVERS WHO CAUSE ACCIDENTS ON OUR ROADS, THEY DEMAND USING THE FAULTY REGISTER FOR ONE MORE TIME. THEY FAIL TO THINK ABOUT THE HARM IT CAN CAUSE TO THE NATION. BADD REGISTER CAN SUPPORT THE CHOICE OF BADD LEADERS. IT CAN ALSO PROVIDE THE THE FERTILE GROUNDS FOR THE CLAIM OF DISCREPANCIES IN THE ELECTION BY THE LOOSER. NO REASONABLE PERSON AND NO WISE PERSON WOULD TRY THAT RISK. WHAT HARM CAN A NEW REGISTER CAUSE WHEN IT OFFER ALL TO SET UP THE APPROPRIATE REGULATIONS TO ELIMINATE THE FRAUDD OF DUPLICATION, FOREIGNERS, MINORS, DEAD PERSONS, GHOST NAMES AND IMPERSONATIONS THAT THE CURRENT REGISTER CONTAINS. HOW COULD ANYBODY CLAIM TO ADVOCATE FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS AND DEMANDS TO RELY ON THE CURRENT REGISTER WHICH CONTAINS GREAT AMOUNT OF ALL THE ABOVE FRAUDULENTT MATERIALS. WE SHOULD GET MEDIOCRITY BEHIND US AND SEEK TO OBTAIN THE BEST. GHANA NEED TO PROGRESS. THE QUESTION OF THE NEW REGISTER IS EXPOSING THE TRUE CHARACTER OF MANY. IT HAS BECOME A SIGN OF CONTRADICTION FROM WHICH THE THOUGHTS OF MANY HEARTS ARE REVEALED. LK.2:34
men of little minds. you are unable to hold your parliamentary primaries for the majority of your members. see to that first.
Masa lawyer it is not compulsory you can decide not to register ohh ton. You fear to register but you will queue to go and vote. We know where you stand. All along you pretend to be neutral. After The NCA court ruling you refused to make a comment and started talking about appeal there i realise you are not as neutral as i used to assume. You guys told your members to boycott the NIA registration you see today it has come back to bite you?
Who said your opinion matter? You NDC people can rave and ***barred word*** all you want, the EC will go ahead and do its work. Kpebu please come out publicly and let us know your NDC status so that we will be clear in our minds how to respond to you appropriately.
I was expecting Martin to say cancel election as that will endanger lives. Without political power, there is no governance and allocation of resources and therefore government is very important for a country. Our choice is elected government and that government must be freely and fairly elected. Yet you sit in your comfort zone and try to stampede EC to do your wishful thinking. Do you think, EC didn't consider health issues before coming to a decision? Martin, it is your choice and you can decide not to register just like people who decide not vote. But you cannot tell EC what to do. EC has a made mandate and all the necessary information to make its decisions. You can only held to account but you can dictate to them. I expect you to know better.
that is the voice of reasoning, the EC stated clearly the register is credible and that they would have to spend some money to replace the so called "obsolete" equipment. They should go ahead and replace the obsolete equipment and lets use this old register to vote. voting does not mass up like registration so those of you insulting martin lack understanding of the issues.
What kpebu is saying defy logic. If doing limited registration is possible. Why will registration of the entire country endanger our lives? I don't understand. If the ndc dare misbehave during the registration exercise we shall deal with them ruthlessly including Kpebu. We are going to do the registration exercise come what may. If the ndc like they should go and burn the sea.
Then we should not vote too. Very Simple. It is so surprising that those who are against the compilation of the voters register citing the spread of the virus as a reason are ready to vote. So now the virus cannot spread because it is afraid of voting but will spread during the registration of voters right? Where from this logic?
Martin the key question is will you risk your life to vote should elections e held on 7th December? or per your calculation, the pandemic will be over by then? Don't forget about the second and third wave theory okay. In essence if you will risk your life to vote then why won't you risk it now to have a credible register?
It gets to a time in Ghana when people with seeming integrity and endowed with cunning pretense of neutrality and objectivity expose their true political affiliations to a point of clouding their thought process. Martin Supreme Court Kpebu , the undoubtedly legal luminary, a dye in the wool NDC member , please do the needful and go back to the Supreme Court if you believe the EC should be stopped by a misguided political party the NDC, a party full of c0--rrup+ leaders. Don't waste time please. Run to the apex court for a decision and don't tarnish you hard earned image.