The African Center for Women in Politics has waded into the stand-off between the Electoral Commission and some opposition parties on the upcoming voters’ register compilation.

The Center, in a statement Tuesday, noted that election disputes are a major cause of civil conflicts, especially in the sub-region, necessitating an urgent need to resolve the impasse.

“We call on the political parties and the other stakeholders opposed to the Commission’s decision to compile a new voters’ register to moderate their activism and mobilisation and commit to any efforts designed to end the stalemate to pave the way for constructive dialogue,” ACWP said.

They also said “it is only in a deliberation process that the various stakeholders can speak and listen to each other in respect and candor and develop a collective decision in the spirit of compromise and consensus.”

The Center called on notable groups including the Center for Democratic Development (CDD), the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, National House of Chiefs, the University Teachers Association of Ghana, the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Ghana among others, to lead the deliberations.

The African Center for Women believes these groups possess the moral, civic, and intellectual voices which can help to break the deadlock.

The Center is mostly concerned because “it is common knowledge that in conflict situation, women and children are not only the most vulnerable, but the victims.”

“It is against this knowledge of experience from other jurisdictions that we are urging the Electoral Commission to be alive to enormity of the responsibility it shoulders, and carry the nation with it to peace and not conflict,” they said.

Registration begins in ‘last week of June’

The compilation of the register, according to the EC will begin in the last week of June.

The biggest opposition party, the NDC, is, however, still opposed to discarding the current register.

According to the party, the Commission’s desire to compile a new roll and change the management system is only a ploy to rig the December 2020 election for the NPP and President Akufo-Addo.

However, the EC says the existing management system and its accompanying devices such as the Biometric Verification Devices are at the end of their life.

The only, plausible and cost-effective solution is to compile a new role with enhanced security and identification features, the EC says.

The new role will also help to remove foreigners and dead men from the register, the Commission says.