NDC drags EC to court again over reopening of new register

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has sued the Electoral Commission (EC) over its decision to reopen the voters’ register.

The opposition party said, it is contesting the EC’s move in court because, the Commission ‘flouted’ the law which requires it to publish in the gazette, the 21 days’ notice of the planned exercise.

NDC is among other things seeking from the court “A declaration that the Electoral Commission has acted ultra vires in its attempt to reopen and/or conduct registration of voters scheduled for Thursday 1st October 2020 when the Electoral Commission has not caused to be published in the Gazette, twenty-one (21) days’ notice of this voters registration to the political parties and the general public;” the NDC averred in its statement of claim.”

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The Electoral Commission (EC) said it will re-open the Voters Registration Exercise for one day, on Thursday, 1st October this year.

A statement issued by the EC said the scheduled exercise is to give opportunity to those who have attained the age of 18 and Citizens who for one reason or the other were not able to register in the just ended registration exercise to do so.

 But the NDC said the EC has acted beyond its powers in its attempt to reopen the voters’ register.

It wants the court to grant an injunction on the EC restraining it from reopening the register without first gazetting it.

The NDC also wants the Court to order the Electoral Commission to immediately comply with Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2016 (C.I. 91) for this intended exercise.