Ebenezer Ofosu Asiedu, head of the Democracy and Good Governance Division at the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), has dismissed the need for an external audit of Ghana’s voters register.
He believes that the concerns raised can be adequately addressed through domestic processes.
Asiedu’s comments come in response to the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s nationwide protest against the Electoral Commission (EC).
The NDC has been demanding a forensic audit of the voters register, arguing that it contains inaccuracies and irregularities.
The EC, however, has rejected the call for an external audit. In response, the NDC organized a mass demonstration on Tuesday, September 17, in all 16 regions of Ghana.
The party has threatened to escalate its protests to the district EC offices if the commission remains adamant.
Asiedu expressed hope that the stakeholders involved would find a peaceful solution to the dispute. He emphasized that an external intervention is not necessary at this time.
“We believe that after today’s demonstrations, there will be an opportunity to reconcile whatever differing positions these two major stakeholders have on the electoral register,” Asiedu said. “We do not see it as something that requires urgent intervention from any external body.”
