The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) has called on all progressive forces, political parties, major CSOs,prominent and other relevant stakeholders to remain focus in their crusade against a new Biometric Voter Management System and the compilation of a new Biometric Voters Register for the 2020 General Elections.
The Eminent Advisory Committee of the Electoral Commission has called on the Commission 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.
Chairman of the Committee, Justice Emile Short, in a statement, urged all political parties and other stakeholders to remain calm as they work in the national interest.
But the Chamber in a reaction has urged such forces not to be swayed by the EC’s Eminent Advisory Committee communiqué and keep the momentum on their Stakeholder engagements, advocacy, press releases, legal actions and demonstrations until the EC drops its idea of a new voters register.
“ChaLoG is therefore of the firm belief that the communiqué from Eminent Advisory Committee calling for CALM from all political parties and other stakeholders is just a DECOY which is only meant to buy time for the EC to go ahead with its untenable reasons and equally cow the political parties and other CSOs into submission.” a statement by ChaLoG said.
Below is the full statement
THE CALL FOR CALM BY THE EMINENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION IS NOTHING BUT A DECOY – ChaLoG
The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) has taken note of a Press Release authored by Justice Emile Short for and on behalf of the Eminent Advisory Committee of the Electoral Commission (EC) on 15th January, 2020.
ChaLoG commends the Committee for the bold attempt made to get the EC to outline their justifications for the need to procure a new Biometric Voter Management System and the compilation of a new Biometric Voters Register for the 2020 General Elections.
ChaLoG is however, firstly disappointed in the Eminent Advisory Committee for the decision reached with the EC to meet again with the Political Parties through the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) alone leaving out the Civil Society Organisations and other relevant Stakeholders (from whom it is calling for CALM) together with the Political Parties.
ChaLoG’s second disappointment stems from the fact that, the Eminent Advisory Committee did not give out any definite time lines with which it intends to meet with IPAC to have a further deliberations on the matter.
ChaLoG’s final and most important disappointment in the Eminent Advisory Committee communiqué is the fact that, they failed woefully to also advice the EC to STAY EXECUTION (for want of a better expression) in the face of the stiff opposition from progressive forces such as major political parties, major CSOs, prominent IT Experts and other relevant stakeholders (especially Ghanaian Tax Payers) to also allow for further deliberations on whether or not there is the need to procure a new Biometric Voter Management System and the compilation of a new Biometric Voters Register for the 2020 General Elections.
ChaLoG is therefore of the firm belief that the communiqué from Eminent Advisory Committee calling for CALM from all political parties and other stakeholders is just a DECOY which is only meant to buy time for the EC to go ahead with its untenable reasons and equally cow the political parties and other CSOs into submission.
On the basis of this, ChaLoG wishes to call on all progressive forces, political parties, major CSOs, prominent and other relevant stakeholders not to be swayed by this communiqué from the Eminent Advisory Committee, to drop their guard in their fervent opposition to the procurement of a new Biometric Voter Management System and the compilation of a new Biometric Voters Register for the 2020 General Elections through their Stakeholder engagements, advocacy, press releases, legal actions and demonstrations until the EC drops that idea of a new voters register.
Aluta Continua
Long Live Ghana’s Democracy
Long Live ChaLoG
Long Live Ghana
Signed
1. Dr. Richard Fiadomor President 0243138633
2. Hon Romeo Elikplim Akahoho Executive Secretary 0244967680
3. Hon Alhaji Ibrahim F. Faila Public Relations Officer 0244237456
4. Ing. Joshua Quist Director of Research 0546456940
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