The voter registration exercise, which was held throughout the country in August instead of May this year, has thrown the calendar of the Electoral Commission (EC) out of gear.

Consequently, the filing of nominations by the various political parties cannot be held on September 29 as scheduled, the EC has said.

The Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Operations, Mr Kwadwo Sarfo-Kantanka, told the Daily Graphic that, the commission therefore now had to consider a new date for the filing of nominations.

He explained that the exercise could not be carried out until the EC had compiled a new voters register, cleaned and exhibited it and added that the new date would fall after the register had been exhibited.

"We have not fixed a date yet because we have not compiled and exhibited the register and as of now, I cannot say when the exercise would be carried out," he said.

Mr Sarfo-Kantanka says filing of nominations is the last thing that is done before elections and that the EC still has enough time to meet that obligation.

He said under the law, the EC was required to receive nominations "not more than 90 days to the day of elections and not less than 30 days to the date".

He said, therefore, there was enough time within which the exercise could be carried out.

Under the exercise, parties are required to file papers to state the individuals they have elected as presidential and parliamentary candidates.


Source: Daily Graphic