Efforts seeking to mediate the ongoing impasse over the compilation of a new voters’ register for Ghana’s December general elections, have hit a snag.
While the political parties involved in the impasse have accepted the mediation offer, the Electoral Commission has declined, saying it is too busy to participate in the mediation.
Concerned about the raging voters register impasse which continues to create political tension in the country, the Gamey & Co ADR Centre officially informed the EC and the political parties concerned of the offer to mediate the matter for an amicable resolution for the interest of national peace and cohesion.
In response to the offer by the Centre to mediate the impasse, proposing February 24, for a pre-meeting, the InterParty Resistance Against the New Voters’ Register, led by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), accepted to participate in the mediation exercise.
A letter dated February 14, and signed by Peter Boamah Otukunor, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, said “on behalf of the InterParty Resistance Against the New Voters’ Register (IPRAN), we wish to indicate our readiness to avail ourselves to any meaningful dialogue of process that will yield a productive consensus on the matter.”
For its parts, the EC, in its response letter dated February 19, 2020, and signed by Dr Bossman Eric Asare, Deputy Chairperson, appreciated the mediation offer, but declined to participate.
It said “unfortunately due to the busy nature of our schedule for this year which is an election year, coupled with a lot of activities planned for the year, we are unable to honour your invitation for the mediation which is to take place on 24th February, 2020.”
Read the full response letters
By Edmund Mingle/ www.adrdaily.com
