New register is a done deal - Electoral Commission

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The Electoral Commission (EC) has said the plan to procure equipment to compile a new voters’ register is a done deal.

Director of Electoral Services of the EC, Dr Serebour Quaicoe, told Samson Lady Anyenini on MultiTV/ Joy FM’s Newsfile, Saturday that “for now that is our stance.”

The Eminent Advisory Committee (EAC) of the Electoral Commission on Thursday called on the EC to meet with members of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) and deliberate on issues concerning the creation of a new voters’ register. The Committee made the call after a meeting with the EC on Wednesday to outline the justification for the procurement of a new Biometric Voter Management System and the compilation of a new voters’ register for the 2020 general elections. EC Advisory meeting

But when asked about the directive by the Emile Short-led EAC to consult stakeholders, he said the meeting “was to engage them to make our points clear.”

He said they were only seeking to inform the panel that it is a done deal.

The EC’s decision to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 polls has been questioned by many, not only because of the huge amount involved but also the timing. With just about ten months to go to the polls, many doubt if the EC can undertake the necessary procedures before the polls in December. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described as “unconscionable” the EC’s justification for a new voters’ register. In the party’s view, the register used for the 2016 general elections was the cleanest and most credible register one could find anywhere in the world. The party has joined other smaller parties in campaigning against the compilation of a new register.

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Dr Serebour Quaicoe