EC apologizes to teen arrested for alleged double registration in New Juaben South
Electoral Commission (EC)
The New Juaben South Municipal Electoral Commission (EC) has issued an official apology to an 18-year-old boy who was wrongfully arrested over allegations of double registration during the ongoing voter registration exercise.
Read full articleThe incident occurred on Saturday when the teenager, Martin Kwakye Martin, visited the registration center to obtain his voter ID card. Martin's father, Martin Yaw Boateng, revealed that both his son and 12-year-old daughter were unlawfully registered by unknown political actors when Martin was just 14 years old in 2020.
Despite the family's efforts to rectify the situation by notifying the EC through a letter dated July 23, 2020, the names remained on the voter register. This oversight led to the unfortunate arrest of Martin, causing distress and embarrassment to the family.
In a meeting held on Monday, May 13, attended by both Martin Yaw Boateng and his son, the Municipal EC boss, Kofi Asante Owusu, admitted the error. He clarified that while the names of the minors were removed from the voter register at the Constituency level following the petition, the deletion was not reflected in the EC's central database, leading to the misunderstanding.
Expressing regret for the incident, Mr. Owusu extended an unqualified apology to the family. Martin Yaw Boateng, speaking on Adom FM's morning show, Dwaso Nsem, stated that they had accepted the apology in good faith. Despite considering seeking compensation for the public embarrassment, they decided against it due to the respectful manner in which Mr. Owusu engaged with them.
Mr. Boateng expressed hope that the EC would promptly rectify the situation by deleting the names from the central database, enabling his son to register and participate in the upcoming December general elections.
The incident underscores the importance of accurate voter registration processes and the need for swift resolution of discrepancies to uphold the integrity of the electoral system.
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