The Electoral Commission (EC) has asked political parties to submit a detailed report by September 22 on their positions on the current voters’ register after the New Patriotic Party lodged a complaint about its credibility.
The Commission also called on Civil Society Organizations to provide their comments on the voters’ register on the said date for the EC to announce a date for a stakeholder’s meeting on the issue.
Mrs Charlotte Osei, Commissioner of the EC, said this on Friday after an Inter-Party Advisory Committee meeting on the voters register and to brief the various parties on the Commission’s preparedness for the district elections.
She told the political parties present that the EC was committed to give every stakeholder a fair hearing as stipulated in the constitution to deepen our democratic values.
Mrs Osei said the parties also agreed that the number of polling stations be increased from 26,002 to 30,000 for the 2016 general elections for a more efficient and smooth elections.
She said the EC has informed the political parties that with effect from January 1, 2016, the Commission would enforce the political party law Act 574 of 2000, that required them to have a functional office, a bank account and indicate their sources of funding.
She said the meeting discussed the process of electoral reforms spearheaded by the reform committees to implement the electoral reforms of the country.
On the district Assembly and unit committee elections, Mrs Osei said all logistics are set for the 6,156 electoral areas to ensure a smooth conduct of the polls on September 1.
She said 18,938 candidates are contesting for the elections, out of which 17,783 are males and 1,102 females.
Mrs Osei said some candidates were disqualified because of a breach of the electoral laws and urged all voters to comport themselves at the polling stations.
Source: GNA