Parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in North Tongu constituency of the Volta Region, Mr. Richard Collins Arku, has warned parents against allowing their under-age children to take part in the upcoming limited biometric voters’ registration (BVR) exercise.
The nationwide limited registration exercise by the Electoral Commission (EC) will start fromThursday, April 28 and end on Sunday, May 8, 2016.
The exercise will allow Ghanaians who have attained the age of 18 and above and have not registered the opportunity to register to become eligible voters.
However, speaking in an exclusive interview with Today in Accra, Mr. Arku stated that parents owed it a duty to ensure that their children (below 18) are prevented from taking part in exercise.
He warned that the law would deal drastically with people who would be caught indulging in any electoral malpractice.
Meanwhile, a press statement signed and issued by NPP’s acting General Secretary, Mr. John Boadu, yesterday stressed the need for Ghanaians to abide by the electoral laws of the land.
It asserted that the exercise is to, among other things, enable voters who have attained age 18 and those who qualified but were unable to register in the last registration exercise to do so.
“Beyond the civic duty to register and vote, each and every one should, as a matter of urgency, be part of the “change-process,” which starts with the registration exercise.
“Get-Out, Register, Vote and be part of the many who are clamouring for Good Governance, Economic and social prosperity, business-friendly environment, employment, safeguarding the public purse as well as Political integrity and accountability,” it noted
NPP therefore entreated those who have attained 18 and above to take part in the upcoming registration exercise and subsequently take a decision in the 2016 elections that will bring “our dear nation prosperity and break the unending hardship.”
The statement also called on the EC to put the necessary measures in place to ensure that the problems encountered during the 2014 limited registration exercise do not re-occur.
The under-listed were the notable ones; the statement noted mal-functioning of machines and faulty cameras, low/inadequate publicity, hostage of registration materials (Challenge forms and Guarantee forms, Failure of EC officials to give daily print – out to political parties.
The party thus charged the EC to ensure that issues of faulty/malfunctioning batteries, late arrival of EC registration officials and lack of commitment, registration of minors and foreigners, registration of persons with the use of NHIS cards, interference by MCEs, DCE and other government functionaries are arbitrary change of registration centres could not be encountered during the exercise.
It contended that the change agenda starts with the registration and all must endeavour to be part.
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