December Polls: We’ll guard the ballot with our lives – Opare-Addo

“We’ll not accept the results of a flawed register. We’ll guard the ballot at the peril of our lives, and we’ll march this EC and NPP boot for boot in every occasion,” that is the contention of the National Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), George Opare Addo.

Speaking on Anopa Kasapa to buttress the point raised on Wednesday by the party’s flagbearer concerning the 2020 election results, Opare Addo contends that it’s surprising that the EC would go off on a tangent about why it’s reasonable and logical to maintain the old register and consider a limited register in just six months to the general elections.

Echoing the party’s position on the upcoming registration exercise, Opare Addo said the process will only disenfranchise millions of Ghanaians insisting it’s impossible for EC to register 17 million Ghanaians in 40 days.

“Elections are not a day’s event; elections are a process. So right from the word go if, at the beginning of the process, it’s flawed there is no way we can have credible elections,” he argued.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama says the party will not accept the results of the 2020 general elections should it deem the process as unfair.

Stressing on the disagreements between the NDC and the Electoral Commission (EC) on the voters’ register, Mahama warned the party may not accept the results of the upcoming elections.

The National Youth Organiser, reiterating the same points made by the NDC’s Presidential Candidate, noted the Electoral Commission cannot deliver flawless elections if it sticks to the controversial decision of compiling a new voters’ register.

“We have a position and our position is that maintain the old register, and let's use it. Because you cannot register all 17 million Ghanaians. You’ll disenfranchise people. In one month or 40 days in a COVID environment? it’s not possible! We’re talking from experience because we’ve been part of elections before and we know how many people you can register in a day. That’s the argument we’re making."

"That is with this argument, if we go ahead and keep this old register, then you’re only doing limited registration in 40 days. For a limited registration, you can capture the 1.2 million people you are supposed to register, but in 40 days you cannot capture 18 million Ghanaians onto the register. It just doesn’t add up and that is what we’re talking about. And if you even disenfranchise just one person, the election is flawed.”