ACCRA OCTOBER 16, 2015 (CISA) – The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to provide a credible voter’s register ahead of the 2016 General Elections.
This followed allegations by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the existing register is bloated with names of foreign nationals and minors.
In a press statement dated October 12, the bishops said, “in order not to give anybody doubts about the 2016 General Elections and ensure that electorate have confidence in the voters’ register and the electoral process, the GCBC recommends to the Commission to ensure that the register is credible.”
The bishops also challenged the Electoral Commission to compile a new voter’s register should the allegations be established to be true.
“…allegations of over 76,000 names of persons from neighbouring countries discovered in the current register must be investigated and the proper process be conducted if the allegations are found to be true. If this and other allegations are found to be true, it will be necessary to have a new voters’ register to enable people to have confidence in the electoral process,” said the statement signed by the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Joseph Osei-Bonsu.
The bishops recommended that political parties and other stakeholders jointly guarantee and safeguard the process of registering persons qualified to vote.
