The Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Andrew Egyapa Mercer says his party; the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will challenge any applicant whom they deem to be ineligible to register for a voter identification card in the constituency.
The legislator threatened that the party would pursue every complaint or challenge they place on applicants to their final conclusions. He justified that the electoral laws allow only Ghanaians resident in an electoral area and constituency, have the exclusive right to register and vote to elect a parliamentarian for that specific area.
“Our party agents have had cause to challenge quiet a number of people and so yes, I foresee that situation continuing to the extent that the other people who are encouraging others from other constituencies to come in here to influence the will of the people of Sekondi desist from it…but if they don’t,the challenge will continue until the exercise is over. And we will pursue it to its logical conclusion to make sure that everybody who is not supposed to register in this constituency is taken out” he exclaimed.
He reckoned that persons that have had their applications challenged normally fail to avail themselves before the District Elections Review Committee to defend their right or otherwise.
“it is that point that they don’t turn up…and it is for a good reason because the initial attempt was not grounded in fact. So don’t expect those people to proceed to court because they know that, when they go, there are sanctions that will follow when it is established that indeed they were not entitled to register at locations and declared to that effect” he clarified.
Hon. Andrew Mercer made these remarks in responds to reports of some confrontations that ensued at some of the registration centers over the eligibility of some applicants, yesterday.
He had just registered for his voter identification card at the Methodist SHS, Sekondi.