Election 2012 Independent Presidential Candidate, Jacob Osei Yeboah also known as “JOY 2012” is calling on the Electoral Commission [EC] for an “early” cleansing of the register for the 2016 elections.
According to him, the call for the register purgative which was established by the Supreme Court ruling during the historic 2012 election petition must be heeded to with immediate effect.
In a letter copied to the Office of the President, Electoral Reform Committee, and National House of Chiefs among other notable institutions, Jacob Osei Yeboah is hoping that an immediate action would be taken by stakeholders so as to ensure smooth and peaceful elections in 2016.
Read below JOY’s Letter to the President
May our good Lord and Allah continue to give the National Peace Council (NPC) wisdom and fortitude as the council searches for solutions to rising incidents of Ethnocentrism and unbridled religious zealotry that have the potential of derailing our efforts at fostering unity within a democratic state.
There is yet another imminent challenge - the doubtful integrity of the voter's register. There have been many calls from political and non-partisan groups for an EARLY cleansing of the Register for the 2016 elections.
This call is predicated on the Supreme Court ruling on the 2012 election petition. It has further emerged that the existing Voters’ Register had allowed carriers of the NHIS card among others to register but was to be later annulled by the Supreme Court.
These examples raise issues of credibility and trust of the process and thus we need a national discourse agreeing to a common solution before the 2016 election.
The solution lies with developing a National Electronic Data Register (NEDR) which tracks a person’s life cycle through Birth, Education, Religion, Profession, Business, Property and Death. The EC, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Birth and Death Registry etc are key ministries that can also benefit from NEDR as a planning tool.
The EC would only need to access such a register which can extrapolate the population that would be eighteen (18) years and above in each polling station and plan budgetary and logistical allocations for each election. This can prevent perpetual pitfalls during registrations by EC for subsequent election years. Opening and closing the voter's register seems like the norm, but it is archaic and hugely wasteful.
Ghana can learn from Germany that has developed and mastered the NEDR for its socioeconomic development. In Ghana, the NEDR is needed for Ghana's next crucial election. This will be a great panacea and will build trust in EC’s handling of our elections.
My office together with all stakeholders can help the government to establish NEDR for our country to enhance peaceful election and sustainable economic development. I am appealing to the NPC to take steps on NEDR to avert the cycle of errors in our elections.
My office is very confident that, the NPC will initiate appropriate engagement towards the National Call for a Clean Voters’ Register by other stakeholders for urgent solutions for sustainable peace and development of the country beyond the horizon of 2016 Elections.
Yours Sincerely, Jacob Osei Yeboah (Independent Presidential Candidate 2012)
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