Angry parent storms registration center after son was arrested

Angry parent storms registration

On Saturday, May 11, 2024, an infuriated father burst into the New Juaben South voter registration centre after his 18-year-old son was arrested for double registration.

The irate dad, Martin Yaw Boateng, vented his anger at the Electoral Commission for allegedly failing to withdraw his son’s name off the voter registration after he completed the required actions in 2020.

He disclosed that, in 2020, unidentified political actors purportedly affiliated with the ruling party unlawfully registered his 14-year-old son and his 12-year-old daughter against their will.

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This led him to formally request in writing, on July 23, 2020, that their names be struck from the register.

“I respectfully send this letter to your distinguished office requesting that the names of Boateng Kwakye Martin, 14, whose voter ID card number is 2588022436, and Boateng Akosua Pomaa, 12, whose voter ID card number is 2588022035, be removed.

Unknown individuals registered these youngsters using fraudulent information. A copy of a supporting affidavit that I swore is included. I am relying on your customary assistance,” the letter copy read.

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The children’ voter ID cards were seized by the committee that the EC set up to handle incidents like these, and they were given the assurance that their names would be deleted.

The father was arrested on Saturday morning for duplicate registration after learning, to his surprise, that his son’s name was still listed on the register four years later.

Mr. Boateng expressed his deep concern and sadness, saying, “My son has been left deeply distressed and traumatized by this unfortunate incident, and it’s not even his fault.”

He emphasized that his son was an innocent victim and shouldn’t have to suffer because of someone else’s mistake.

To address this issue and ensure his son’s right to vote, Mr. Boateng urgently appealed to the Electoral Commission to take prompt action and resolve the matter as soon as possible.

The Electoral Commission responded by asking Mr. Boateng to return on Monday so that they could further investigate and resolve the issue. This response showed that the Commission was willing to listen and take steps to address the problem.

On Tuesday, May 7, the Electoral Commission launched a special voter registration drive, focusing on first-time voters and those who needed new voter cards.

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The goal of this exercise, as explained by Chair Jean Mensa, was to register approximately 623,000 new voters nationwide.

However, due to technical issues with online registration, the Commission decided to switch to offline registration to accommodate a larger number of registrants. This decision ensured that more people could participate in the registration process and exercise their right to vote.

By extending the registration drive and moving offline, the Electoral Commission demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that all eligible citizens, including Mr. Boateng’s son, could register and vote in the upcoming elections.

This move helped to build trust and confidence in the electoral process, which is essential for a healthy democracy.

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Prince Nti Adu

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