The Electoral Commission (EC) has asked the Ghana Police Service to prosecute those arrested for facilitating the registration of minors in the ongoing limited registration exercise.
Deputy Electoral Commissioner Dr. Bossman Asare, addressing a press conference on Monday, May 13, 2024, said this will serve as a deterrent to others who are planning on engaging in the unlawful act.
He emphasized that minor registration is a criminal offense and those who engage in it must be punished.
“We urge the police to apply the laws to those who have been apprehended to serve as a deterrent to others in the enterprise of facilitating the registration of minors and foreigners. We want to urge the children who are not 18 years old that it is against the law for them to register as voters.”
The Deputy Commissioner urged political parties facilitating the process to stop, stating it was crucial as it would impact the credibility of the register.
He also advised parents to prevent their children, who are under 18 years old, from registering as voters.
“We continue to receive reports that minors and non-Ghanaians are being encouraged by certain persons who are members of political parties to register as voters. The Commission has seen a report from the Western Region, specifically in Mpohor, where some two persons who allegedly facilitated the registration of five minors have been apprehended by the police. We wish to use this opportunity to urge parents, especially to dissuade their children who are less than 18 years old, from registering as voters.
“Similarly, we beseech the national leadership of the political parties to discourage their executives in the regions and the constituencies from transporting minors and foreigners to the registration centres. The objective of the Commission, as always, has been to have a credible register for the 2024 elections.
“We believe the political parties, as the main stakeholders in the general elections, must be dedicated to supporting a credible register as well. Consequently, we find attempts by parties to support the registration of minors and foreigners completely unacceptable and aimed at undermining the country’s electoral democracy.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
