Alan Kyerematen joins calls for comprehensive audit of voters register

Independent Presidential Candidate and leader of the Movement for Change (M4C) and the Alliance for Revolutionary Change (ARC), Alan Kyerematen, is concerned about the integrity of the current voters register, which the Electoral Commission (EC) is preparing for the 2024 general elections.

Reports including claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) allege compromised data in the register.

While the EC has acknowledged the issue and is working internally to rectify it, the process has faced significant public scrutiny.

In response to this in a statement on Wednesday, September 25, Mr Kyerematen proposed a set of measures aimed at restoring public confidence in the voter register and ensuring the integrity of the upcoming elections.

He proposed the establishment of a high-level Technical Working Group (TWG), chaired by the EC, and including representatives from all candidates cleared to contest the elections, as well as the data management consultants for the EC.

The Movement for Change leader also said the Technical Working Group would be tasked with conducting a full and comprehensive audit of the current voters register, using key source documents including the final 2020 Voters Register, limited registration data since 2021, voter transfers, and special voters lists from 2020 to the present.

This, he said each member of the group would have access to original copies of these documents to verify their authenticity.

He said candidates or their representatives who possess evidence of compromised data in the current register would be required to submit it to the Technical Working Group before the audit begins and that the final result of this collaborative process would be recognised as the official voters register for the 2024 general elections.

“The proposed process outlined above mirrors a ‘forensic audit’ being advocated for by a section of the Ghanaian public, and ought to come up with a Voters Register acceptable to all contestants and voters in the upcoming 2024 General Elections. 

“The timeline proposed for the exercise is from the 30th September 2024 to the 11th October 2024. This would enable the EC to release a Final Voters Register by the 14th October 2024,” part of the statement read.

The movement called for a response to this proposal by Friday, September 27, 2024, noting that such a joint approach would ensure transparency and resolve any lingering doubts about the voters register.