The Electoral Commission (EC) has addressed misconceptions surrounding the timeline for releasing the revised provisional voter register (PVR).
In a statement issued on October 8, 2024, the EC refuted claims made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it had committed to making the updated PVR available within a week following the Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on October 1.
This clarification arrives at a critical juncture as tensions rise ahead of Ghana’s 2024 elections.
According to the EC, Chairperson Jean Mensa did not promise a one-week turnaround for the revised PVR.
Instead, she clearly stated during the televised IPAC meeting that the commission would provide the updated PVR to political parties and upload it online within two weeks or even sooner.
This clarification is crucial as it underscores the EC’s commitment to transparency and accurate communication, amidst lingering doubts and accusations surrounding the voter registration process.
The backdrop of this issue is fraught with historical concerns over the integrity of voter registration in Ghana.
Previous elections have seen opposition parties voice their apprehensions regarding the accuracy and transparency of the registration process, notably during the 2020 elections when the EC faced significant scrutiny for its management of the voter registration exercise.
Below is EC’s full statement.
RE: REVISED PROVISIONAL VOTERS REGISTER TO BE RELEASED WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has taken note of a statement by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the effect that the EC promised to make the revised Provisional Voters Register (PVR) available to the Political Parties within a week of the IPAC meeting as follows:
“the Functional Executive Committee of the NDC has deliberated and decided to accept the EC’s promise to release to political parties, the corrected/updated version of the 2024 Provisional Voters Register for scrutiny within one week.”
For the records, the Chairperson of the EC indicated during the televised IPAC meeting that the Commission would provide the Political Parties with the revised PVR and upload it online within two (2) weeks or earlier.
“Nowhere in her statement did the Chairperson indicate that the revised PVR would be made available within a week.”
