We’ll beat you mercilessly if you try to disrupt voter’s register – Obiri Boahen warns

The Deputy General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Obiri Boahen has warned that anyone who attempts to disrupt the upcoming compilation of the new Voter’s register would be beaten mercilessly.

According to Nana Obiri Boahen, the violence that happened during the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election was just a tip of the iceberg, warning of more grievous punishment for persons who attempt to foment trouble during the exercise.

“Stay home if you don’t agree to the compilation of the new register because anyone who tries to disrupt the exercise will be beaten. We will beat you mercilessly. What happened in Ayawaso is just a tip of the iceberg,” Nana Obiri Boahen said in an interview on Dadi 101.1FM.

The Deputy General Secretary added that the compilation of a new voters’ register for 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Election is non-negotiable.

“…limited registration isn’t it a registration. If we say we are doing general registration and that only 25 people should be in a queue at a time won’t the same be done for limited registration? Every registration is registration. Covid-19 is not part of an emergency under the constitution of Ghana so whether it is COVID-19 or not elections would be held. At all cost, the new register would be compiled and if you don’t understand, you can get petrol to set fire into yourself.”

He explained that as soon as the new Constitutional Instrument (CI) by the Electoral Commission comes into force, the current voters’ register becomes invalid hence new register must be compiled to conduct the December 7, 2020 general election.

“Regulation 32 of the CI 91 saved the life of voters register because when CI,72 was repealed by CI91 regulation 33(D) succinctly explained that if there is no new register the old register must be used. But The CI that is about to come into existence will not save the life of the current register. As soon as the new CI matures the current register becomes dead. So if you don’t compile a new register you can’t use the old one”.

The decision by the Electoral Commission of Ghana to compile a new voters’ register has faced fierce resistance by a group called the Inter-Party Resistance Against the New Voters Register (IPRAN), made up of six opposition political parties, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The group staged demonstrations in some parts of the country early this year. It had planned to escalate their actions against the EC but for the spread of coronavirus in the country.

The EC has nonetheless maintained its position to compile a new voters register

The commission initially slated the exercise for April 18, 2020, but had to postpone it due to the coronavirus.

With about 6 months to the December 7, Presidential and Parliamentary election, the EC has served notice it will still go ahead with the compilation of the new voters’ register.