The governing National Democratic Congress has made a formal proposal to the Electoral Commission against a new voters’ register for the 2016 general elections.

The party in a 71-page document urged the interest groups to rather support the EC to carry out more reforms that will further improve election management in the country.

The NDC document signed by the General Secretary and the National Chairman described the call by the NPP as one borne out of bad faith, bad-loser syndrome, and a deliberate and calculated strategy for political expediency.

“The NPP habitually condemns the Electoral Commission anytime they lose elections and commend the same institution when they win. This characteristically undemocratic approach of refusing to concede defeat at the polls, has become an institutionalized practice by the NPP to manage electoral defeat and ascribe their failure to the doing of others.”

It further stated: “… our political opponents the NPP, are in the habit of demonstrating breach of faith when they step out of collective agreements to table extraneous agenda items and try hard to force the hand of the EC to adopt their lone ranger demands.

“The current debate around the replacement or maintenance of the Biometric Voters’ Register is evidence of the break-away decision-making habit of NPP. After having participated in and endorsed the collective Report of the Elections Reform Committee set up by the EC to review electoral reform issues emerging from the post 2012 events, the NPP has single handedly raised the issue of the replacement of the BVR outside the consensus reached on the roadmap of electoral reforms and is seeking in the process to railroad all other stakeholders to accede to their false demands.”

Meanwhile, aside the NPP some political parties including the United Progressive Party in their proposal to the Electoral Commission said they want a new voters’ register.

General Secretary of the party, Razak Opoku told Joy News the current register lacks credibility.

Former Chairman of the NPP Peter Mac Manu, who is leading his side on the need for a new register, told Joy News the party has added additional documentation to buttress their call for a new register.

He said their demand has nothing to do with winning or losing the forthcoming elections. It is about “credibility and accuracy of the voters' register,” he noted.

“Because the entire process anchor on the register if the foundation becomes mouldy then the structure can’t pass the test,” he explained.

Mr. Mac Manu cautioned that “time is not on our side, they must act and act expeditiously”.

Meanwhile, the Principal Public Relations Officer of the EC, Sylvia Annor has told Joy News about plans by the EC to address the concerns of the parties.

She said the Commissioner would hold a stakeholders' forum with the parties to deliberate on the issue for the EC to take final decision, but would not tell how soon the meeting would be held.

Click to download NDC's Position Paper