Former Chairman of the National Democratic Congress ,Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo
Former Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has criticised the Electoral Commission (EC) over the recent voter registration exercise for eligible voters conducted across the 268 district offices of the Commission.
Speaking to GhanaWeb TV during a Democracy lecture on Monday, October 28, 2024, he called on the EC to reconsider its approach to ensure greater accessibility and inclusivity for all citizens.
Ofosu-Ampofo expressed concerns over the logistical demands placed on potential voters, arguing that the current setup burdens ordinary Ghanaians with significant costs in terms of time, transport, and, in some cases, the need to stay overnight at district offices.
He explained that these obstacles could discourage people from participating in the democratic process, adding, “My observation is that the Electoral Commission ought to up their game. The EC ought to ensure more inclusiveness. Right from the start, I was not in favour of registering people only at district centres. I believe the basic requirement should be to bring registration closer to Ghanaians, giving people easy access to register.”
He further contended that democracy in Ghana is becoming unnecessarily costly, potentially discouraging eligible citizens from exercising their right to vote.
“We are making democracy too expensive. People have to pay for transport, sleep at district offices, and, even then, may still be unable to register, forcing them to return. Why are we punishing people simply because they want to exercise their franchise? According to our constitution, we are mandated to expand our democratic frontiers to include as many people as possible,” he stated.
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