The National Democratic Congress is sustaining its campaign against attempts by the Electoral Commission to compile a new voter register for the 2020 elections.

Hours after its representatives in Parliament boycotted a special sitting to approve the budget of the EC, which includes provision for a new register, party Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo says his party will resist it.

At a political rally in Tamale, Northern region, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said the introduction of the new register forms part of a grand scheme by the EC and the government to dissipate scarce state resources.

“We will use legitimate democratic means to stop the Electoral Commission and the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government from dissipating our scarce resources the manner they want to do,” he told his audience. 

The EC on its part insists its intentions are without malice. 

Deputy Chairperson of the Commission, Mr Samuel Tettey, at a press briefing reiterated the need for a new register when he said “The current register is credible but it has been stretched to a point where you don’t want to take that same risk. We want to have something that is more credible.” “If you remember, during the exhibition some of you heard that some people were not captured because of the equipment we are using…'' he added.

Meanwhile, Parliament has approved the 2020 budget estimates of the EC. 

The approval was however done without the participation of the minority,  which had staged a walkout.

According to the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, the EC has not convinced the NDC side of the House on why a new voter register is necessary.

“We on this side cannot appreciate why the government will have to spend nearly GH¢1b to produce a new register and set aside a register that gave birth to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and all the Members of Parliament. “Mr Speaker I owe you some level of respect but I am compelled to move out with the minority in protest. We will not support a new voter register,” Iddrisu said as he led the minority to boycott the rest of the deliberations on the EC’s budget.