The Electoral Commission (EC) has called on the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to submit the data to support its allegation of some 50,000 ghost names being on the register.
The electoral body says despite the several attempts made at requesting this data, the party has refused to submit it before the EC.
The Deputy Commissioner in charge of operations at the EC, Mr. Samuel Tettey, told journalists that the NDC had, among other allegations, claimed that there are 50,000 ghost names on the register.
He said they have since asked the NDC to submit the data so the EC will thoroughly investigate the issue and work in collaboration with the district assemblies and the Birth and Death Registry to have the names removed.
However, the NDC has failed to do so.
He also noted that the call by the NDC for a forensic audit of the register was needless and lacks merit.
Such an exercise he posited will add no value to the work being done by the EC.
He explained that the law has stipulated how the register must be cleaned, adding that the EC will still be the institution to finally do the necessary corrections should an independent body be asked to audit the register.
“We are aware there may be dead persons in the register because several persons die each year. One of the key purposes of the exhibition exercise is to allow relatives of the dead to initiate the process of expunging their names from the register. The NDC indicated at the meeting that it had identified some 50,000 persons who were dead on the register. The Commission once again requested the details of the 50,000 dead persons and assured the NDC that it will work with the district assemblies and the Birth and Death Registry to expunge the names from the register. As with the data identified by the NDC, we are yet to receive the list of the dead.’’
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana