The Electoral Commission (E.C.) has notified political parties that all party agents will be allowed to witness the verification of registered voters who have misplaced their voters ID cards from a reasonable distance on election day.
The E.C. is hopeful this will help promote transparency in the December polls.
The EC has indicated that registered voters who may have misplaced their cards will be allowed to cast their vote during the December elections due to the existence of the verification machines.
This decision, according to the Commission, was taken because some voters may have genuinely misplaced their cards “through fire or any other unfortunate means and every registered voter has the right to vote.”
Speaking on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Tuesday, the Principal Public Relations Officer at the E.C., Sylvia Annor mentioned that the party agents have the right to be in the know of what is happening.
“They have the right to be able to observe what is happening and then if they have any objection, they may do so through the Presiding Officer who is the head of the polling station for redress,” she said.
Meanwhile, some political parties have raised concerns with the Commission’s directive for the names and numbers of party agents to be submitted four days before the elections.
This E.C. however holds the position that the time period will help reduce the incidence of party agents being unduly influenced.
citifmonline.com
