Registration Exercise Educate Your Agents on Political Laws Before Assigning Them EC Urges Parties

The Electoral Commission has urged the leaders and executives of political parties to educate their agents on political laws before assigning them to partake in political activities, such as elections and voter registration exercises.

The call for education of party agents come on the heels of a recent violent attacks that broke out at some district electoral offices during the vote transfer exercise conducted by the Electoral Commission.  

The Electoral Commission commenced the vote transfer exercise on May 30, where persons who wish to have their votes transferred are given the chance to do so. Information gathered revealed that, during the process of the exercise, there was an alleged attack between party agents of the NDC and the NPP.

The information further revealed that, the agents of the political parties sought to prevent some persons from having their votes transferred, which, in accordance to law, is not the prerogative of the political party agents to do.

In a press statement released on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, the Electoral Commission stated that, “The exercise to Transfer Votes is governed by Regulation 22 of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C.I. 127). Regulation 22 does not provide Political Party Agents or any other OBSERVERS with the right to prevent Voters who apply to transfer their votes under the law. The Commission would like to repeat: Political Party Agents do NOT have any right or authority under the law to prevent a Voter who wants to transfer his/her vote under Regulation 22 of C.I.127.”

The Electoral Commission explained that, the political parties are well aware of what the electoral laws stipulates, hence, the need to educate their agents before sending them on significant exercises such as the vote transfer and election exercises.

“The Political Parties are well aware that one can object to a voter's eligibility, on the grounds of residency, during the Voters Exhibition Exercise, and NOT during the Transfer of Votes Exercise. The Commission therefore finds the blatant interference with its processes by the Agents of the NPP and the NDC unacceptable.”

“We urge the leaders of the Political Parties to educate their Agents on the Commission's laws prior to assigning them duties as Observers of the various electoral activities.

The Commission will not hesitate to request the withdrawal of Agents who interrupt the Transfer process.

"We emphasize that the directive to withdraw Agents from the Transfer Exercise was as a result of threats to our Nation's peace stemming from the actions of Political Party Agents at our District Offices. The Commission’s decision was not to shield our work from scrutiny, neither was it to promote the interest of a particular Political Party.”Kobina Darlington/