Ensuring A Credible Voter�s Register In 2016 And Beyond

On August 18, 2015, the largest opposition party in Ghana, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), held a press conference in Accra to claim that the current voter register was flawed. At the same event, the NPP also demanded a complete replacement of the current voter register before the next general elections. Primarily, the NPP alleged that the register contained persons not qualified (including non-Ghanaians) to register and vote, in Ghana. The party subsequently followed up their allegations with evidence and a petition to the Electoral Commission (EC). Since then, political parties and civil society organizations (CSOs) have joined the debate, with some either endorsing the call or dismissing the call for replacement outright, and others recommending an investigation into the allegations. In response and following an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting, the EC requested political parties and selected CSOs to submit position papers on the matter for presentation and discussion at a national stakeholder conference later. Indeed, the present debate for a replacement of the current voter register, championed by the NPP, is not new to the Fourth Republic. Depending on who is in power or in opposition, Ghana�s general elections has contended with various allegations of the names of minors or foreigners in the voter register; and a bloated register that is statistically inconsistent with Ghana�s national adult population. In many instances, some of these allegations have proven to be true, and the EC, on its own has acknowledged some of the flaws. Previous Democracy Watch editions (No.3, August 2000; No. 4, December 2000; No.27, 2009) have commented on this subject and offered recommendations for addressing this perennial challenge facing the EC. With less than 14 months to the 2016 general elections, the integrity of the voter register is once again, being questioned. Democracy Watch believes that this, undoubtedly, presents an early warning signal and a significant challenge to the successful conduct of the upcoming elections. As noted in Democracy Watch (No.27, 2009) �a perfect voter register may well be utopian, however, a reasonably credible voter�s roll is a key pre-requisite for a peaceful and credible elections.� Democracy Watch therefore supports the call by the Electoral Commission and many well-meaning Ghanaians for a national debate on the recent public discourse on the current voters� register. �A perfect voter register may well be utopian; however, a reasonably credible voter�s roll is a key pre-requisite for peaceful and credible elections.� Democracy Watch believes that an objective and honest discussion of the issues by the EC, political parties, and civil society is necessary if the perennial ritual of contesting the credibility of the voter register before general elections are held is to be avoided. The discussions must transcend a short-term solution towards the 2016 general elections, and seek a sustainable medium to long-term solution that will ensure that questions about the credibility of the voter�s register are fully addressed. With the EC�s past record of conducting and overseeing six generally free and fair, elections, we are confident that it has the capacity to deal with the present challenges associated with the voter�s register. Democracy Watch is of view that should there be merit in the present allegations about flaws in the voter register; the EC must take steps to replace the register, or, at best, make the necessary moves to mitigate the inconsistencies that are likely to affect the credibility of the register before the general elections in 2016. Any moves to address the flaws in the current register, including processes of compiling a new voter�s register, must be guided by plans leading to long-term solutions instead of a short-term solution for the upcoming general elections (in 2016), as has been done in the past.