Monday, August 11, 2008

HEART-WARMING DECISION

THE Electoral Commission (EC) has extended the limited voter registration exercise by 48 hours throughout the country.
This, according to the EC, is to enable regional directors of the commission to make arrangements to cater for eligible persons who are still in queues to register.
The Daily Graphic wishes to commend the EC for extending the exercise because it is an indication that the commission has heeded the numerous calls from the general public for such an extension.
Again, the 48-hour extension is most welcome because it comes as a very important intervention to calm the tension, rancour, violence and other challenges that have characterised the exercise.
Much as the decision to extend the exercise is laudable, the EC must endeavour to provide adequate logistics to ensure a smooth exercise. That is because if the shortage of materials persists, then the extension will not have served a good purpose.
We wish to urge the general public to take advantage of the respite to register to enable them to exercise their franchise in the December general election. We also encourage people who are sitting on the fence to endeavour to register so that, collectively, we shall choose our political leaders.
While advising eligible persons wanting to register to comport themselves and ensure orderliness at the registration centres, it is also important to urge electoral officials at the centres to attend to the people on a first-come, first-served basis instead of encouraging favouritism, which tends to generate confusion.
Although a bit late in the day, the announcement by the EC to designate special centres for the physically challenged is good news, since they cannot endure the long hours in queues and the reported violence at some of the centres.
The Daily Graphic wishes to call on the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to exercise its mandate on voter education to ensure, for instance, that people who have registered previously but have moved residences or lost their voter identity cards do not go to the centres to register again.
It has been observed that these instances have contributed to the long queues at the registration centres and if people are made to understand this, many of the problems we are experiencing at the centres would be minimum.
Whatever the situation, it is the expectation of Ghanaians that the EC has learnt useful lessons from its underestimation of the exercise in order to plan for the future.
The Daily Graphic reminds the various political parties to educate their supporters on the need to ensure order at the registration centres. It is unfortunate that the political parties have not been able to educate their supporters to appreciate the fact that the December election is not a “do or die” affair for which reason they must employ all tactics, whether fair or foul, to gain advantage even during the registration process.
The 48-hour extension offers the best opportunity for all to join forces with the EC to ensure the success of this year’s general election and to forge peace, unity and progress for our common good.

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