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Ghana’s Electoral Commission Writes To Togolese EC For Copy Of Voters Register

October 30, 2015

The Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, has revealed that her outfit has written to the Togolese Electoral Commission for a copy of their voters register.

The Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, has revealed that her outfit has written to the Togolese Electoral Commission for a copy of their voters register. 

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The request is to help the Commission verify claims that Ghana’s voters register has been bloated with the names of thousands of foreigners, mostly Togolese.

The EC boss was speaking at the ongoing forum organized by the Commission to address claims by the leading opposition, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the register is flawed. The NPP wants a new register compiled before general elections next year. The party has produced images that it claims come from the Togolese voters register and can also be found in the Ghanaian register.

The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) disputes the claims and has also asked the EC to disregard the NPP’s demands.

Ms Osei said the best way to get to the bottom of the matter is to obtain a valid and certified copy of the Togolese register to independently ascertain the claims.

She promised a thorough investigation into the matter and said the Ghana Electoral Commission will take the best decision for Ghana.

She called on civil society to help guard against the phenomenon of underage voting.

“Minors are lured by political parties, dishonest parents who are lured by political parties. Some parents also just don’t know the age of their children,” she said.

 “We need the community to help in identifying who is minor and who is not,” she added. She advised Ghanaians to apply the “constitutional” definition of the word citizen rather than what she called the “emotive” definition in the matter.

“Constitutionally even an adopted person can be a Ghanaian. People who look different may be constitutionally entitled to a voters’ ID card, she said

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Elections Ghana