OVER 40,000 LOSE THEIR VOTER ID CARES IN WR (PAGE 18)

Story: Kwame Asiedu Marfo Takoradi

THE Western Region recorded a total of 40,895 applications during the replacement of lost voter identity (ID) cards.
Out of the figure, 680 applicants, constituting 1.7 per cent of the total figure, had their ID cards defaced or badly damaged, while 40,215 applicants had lost their voter ID cards.
Also, 37,797 applicants representing 92 per cent were resident voters , whilst the remaining 3,098 or eight per cent were non-resident applicants.
The Western Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Stephen Opoku-Mensah, announced this at a Special Regional Inter-Party Advisory Committee forum in Takoradi. It was on “Building stakeholder confidence in the outcome of the 2008 elections”.
He said the Wassa West recorded the highest number of applications in the region with 14 per cent, followed by Takoradi-Effia Sub-Metro with  11 per cent.
He said Ahanta West, Mpohor Wassa East and Wassa Amenfi East recorded four per cent each, while Shama recorded the least number of applications with three per cent
Mr Opoku-Mensah regretted that the participation of  major stakeholders, such as the political parties, was very low, adding that the registered political parties did not show as much interest as they did during registration and elections.
He said the political parties, which were found present at most centres, were the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Party.
He contended that the media had been generally supportive of the efforts of the commission and had been contributing positively in sensitising the public to exercises undertaken by the commission.
“It was, however, unfortunate that some sections of the media carried a wrong impression that the turn-out for the replacement exercise was very low”, he said, adding, “I want to place on record that the EC did not expect a high turn-out because the exercise was done for only voters who had lost their ID cards and those who had their ID cards badly damaged”.
In some cases, he said, it was difficult to process the replacement for non resident applicants especially where the applicants could not provide certain vital information to enable our officials to locate where they registered.
Mr Opoku-Mensah recommended that the political parties should show interest in all activities in connection with elections by sending their agents to all centres to avoid mudslinging, suspicion and speculation.
Also, he said, the media should exercise objectivity, discretion and circumspection in their reportage and that they should check any facts on electoral issues before going public.
He explained that the replacement of the lost ID cards was intended to give opportunity to voters whose ID cards were lost to replace them ahead of the revision of the voters register to avert a situation where such voters would attempt to re-register during the limited registration exercise period.
According to Mr Opoku-Mensah, this was the first time the commission had embarked on the replacement of lost ID cards as a major exercise.