Former Ghana High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Victor Smith, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to carry out a forensic audit of the 2024 voter register, as requested by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), to prevent potential unrest in the country.
The NDC, where Smith plays a key role, has raised concerns about compromised data in the register set for the 2024 general elections. Despite the EC’s acknowledgment of the issue and commitment to addressing it internally, the process has drawn significant public criticism.
Smith’s remarks align with recent appeals from civil society groups, chiefs, and other stakeholders, who have urged the EC to cleanse the electoral roll. The Omanhene of the Goaso Traditional Area, Nana Kwasi Bosompra I, recently voiced his discontent with the EC’s hesitation to rectify the register, calling on traditional leaders to ensure the elections are peaceful by addressing the anomalies.
During an interview on TV XYZ’s Dwaboase program on September 26, Ambassador Smith warned that the EC Chair might face overwhelming pressure if Ghanaians grow frustrated with the Commission’s delay in auditing the voter register. He emphasized that the NDC’s substantial following could potentially halt the elections if the EC fails to guarantee a transparent, free, and fair process.
“The auditing has to be done and it must be forensic…We don’t have to use the EC to do that job,” stated the former High Commissioner.
Ambassador Victor Smith further cautioned that if the Electoral Commission (EC) refuses to engage a neutral auditor to cleanse the voter register, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will bring the country to a standstill.
In response to what the NDC plans to do next, considering that the EC has not yet addressed their petition a week after their protest, Smith hinted at the possibility of a significant upheaval.
Warning the EC leadership to sit up, Ambassador Smith cautioned that, “Whatever they do, we must have that audit [of the voter register]; otherwise, Afghanistan, Gaza, and Ukraine combined is what will happen in Ghana.”
Meanwhile, leader of the Movement for Change (M4C), Alan Kyerematen, along with the Alliance for Revolutionary Change, has voiced strong support for calls urging the Electoral Commission (EC) to heed stakeholders’ demands and conduct a forensic audit of the voter register.
Kyerematen stressed the necessity of forming a high-level Technical Working Group (TWG), chaired by the EC, to oversee the audit process from September 30 to October 11.
In a letter dated September 23, Nana Ohene-Ntow, Director of Elections Planning and Coordination for the movement, articulated that cleansing the electoral roll is vital for maintaining peace in the country.
He proposed that the TWG include representatives from all candidates cleared for the elections, as well as the EC’s data management consultants.
This group would be responsible for carrying out a thorough audit of the current voter register, utilizing essential source documents, including the final 2020 Voter Register, limited registration data since 2021, voter transfer records, and special voter lists from 2020 to the present.
Mr Kyerematen emphasized that all group members should have access to original copies of these documents for verification purposes. Additionally, he stated that candidates or their representatives who possess evidence of compromised data in the current register must submit this information to the TWG before the audit commences.
The final outcome of this collaborative effort would be accepted as the official voter register for the 2024 general elections.
“The proposed process outlined above mirrors a ‘forensic audit’ being advocated for by a section of the Ghanaian public, and ought to come up with a Voters Register acceptable to all contestants and voters in the upcoming 2024 General Elections.”