News
Release provisional voter register now – NDC to EC
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is demanding the release of the provisional voter register for the December 7 general elections to political parties ahead of the exhibition exercise.
“We strongly believe this lack of promptness exhibited by the EC is due to both incompetence and a deliberate attempt to dump a sub-standard Provisional Voter Register on political parties in a short period, to make it difficult for interested parties to critically peruse the register before the Exhibition starts, next week,” tDirector of Elections for the NDC, Dr Omane Boamah, in a post on Facebook.
He stated that the delay in the prompt release of the register is due to the EC’s incompetence and a deliberate attempt to provide a sub-standard register to political parties
Read full statement below
The EC must release the Provisional Voter Register (PVR) now!
With just six (6) days to the 2024 EXHIBITION of the Provisional Voter Register (PVR), political parties are yet to receive the register.
We strongly believe this lack of promptness exhibited by the EC is due to both incompetence and a deliberate attempt to dump a sub-standard Provisional Voter Register on political parties in a short period, to make it difficult for interested parties to critically peruse the register before the Exhibition starts, next week.
The EC wrote to the NDC on the 18th of July 2024, requesting that we bring an external drive (2 terabytes) for the PVR to be loaded for us.
We responded to their request by submitting the external drive with additional requests for all 16 regional register code books.
Unfortunately, for well over two weeks, the EC refused to honour their obligation per CI 91 as amended by CI 126.
Caught with this, the EC surprisingly wrote to us on the 8th of August 2024 now saying they will release the PVR on the 14th of August 2024, six clear days to the exhibition exercise which starts next week on the 20th of August 2024.
This is grossly unfair!
To make matters worse, we are told that today (the 14th of August) we will not receive the Provisional Voter Register until Friday, 16th August 2024. Leaving us with only six (6) days to package and dispatch the register to the over 38,000 Polling stations across Ghana to aid in pre-exhibition scrutiny of the register.
We are aware of the dysfunctional IT Department of the EC, for which we earlier called on the UNDP (@ IPAC) to extend a helping hand to.
The EC has refused and has since not followed up with the UNDP for technical support. Yet, the (deliberate) mistakes keep recurring.
We are deeply concerned that the posturing and incompetence of the EC and its IT Department can plunge Ghana into anarchy if not remedied immediately.
Recall the chaotic 2023 District Assembly Elections, the recent network failures during the Limited Registration Exercise, as well as Transfers and Proxies.
These have exposed the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of the EC.
This deliberate attempt to disturb the electoral roll in order to benefit one political party will be resisted!
Already, the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits stolen at the headquarters of the Electoral Commission under CCTV surveillance have still not been found. Have the stolen BVR kits been used to dump illegally registered voters onto the voter register?
The sanctity of our electoral system must be upheld at all times irrespective of who is in power!
We call on CSOs, religious bodies, and diplomatic missions to take an interest in the activities of this current EC because (beyond verbal assurances) the Commission is not SHOWING a commitment to deliver credible elections on December 07 2024.
The EC must release the Provisional Voter Register now!
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Muslims across the country celebrated this year’s Eid-ul-Adha in a colourful and spiritually uplifting atmosphere under the theme, “A Season of Sacrifice, Solidarity and Spiritual Renewal.”
The celebration brought together Muslims from diverse backgrounds in a remarkable display of faith, unity and cultural heritage.
The occasion was marked by special Eid prayers at various designated grounds, the slaughtering of rams in homes for sharing among family members, friends and the less privileged, as well as musical concerts and recreational activities including horse riding.
Leading the celebration was the Chief Imam, Dr Sheikh Osman Sharubutu.
While the national celebration was held at the Black Star Square where President John Dramani Mahama was the Special Guest of Honour, similar gatherings took place at different centres across the capital and other regions of the country.
A visit by The Spectator to some celebration grounds revealed Muslims, both young and old, elegantly dressed in colourful jalabiya and other Islamic attire, reflecting the rich culture and traditions of the Muslim community.
The celebration also portrayed the spirit of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the country, as a number of Christians joined their Muslim counterparts to mark the occasion.
Muslim leaders and government officials used the opportunity to call on the faithful to uphold the teachings of the Holy Quran, renew their spiritual commitment and refrain from acts capable of undermining the peace, unity and security of the nation.
They further urged Ghanaians to continue to live in harmony and support one another for national development.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
Dear Obaa Yaa,
During Eid-ul- Adha celebration, I decided to spend the weekend at my boyfriend’s place since we were planning towards our marriage.
To my surprise, what keeps me wide awake, restless and frustrated every single time is that he snores loudly like a generator running on full power, and I genuinely cannot get any rest
At a point, I thought it was just a normal thing, but I have realised it is something he does with ease and doesn’t see anything wrong with it.
When he steps out in the morning, I try to get enough sleep because I may not sleep in the evening.
The most annoying thing is that, he always wants to cuddle me. These two things are a no for me and a red flag.
We are about to get married, what should I do?
Enam, Keta.
Dear Enam,
The snoring and constant cuddling are frustrating, but you don’t have to choose between sleep and closeness.
Start with the snoring: check if it’s worse when he sleeps on his back, cut out alcohol before bed, try nasal strips or a humidifier, and see a doctor if he pauses while breathing.
For quick relief, foam earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones help a lot.
Separate blankets, a bigger bed, or sleeping apart on some nights often makes couples rest well and feel closer overall.
Bring this up before the wedding .Tell him you want to wake up next to him for years to come, but sleep deprivation makes you both miserable.
Test earplugs and side-sleeping this weekend, and if it’s still unbearable, bring in a doctor. Good sleep matters more for your marriage than staying glued together all night.
