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Tag: Dr. Serebour Quaicoe

  • 12,000 challenged cases during voter registration exercise being probed by EC

    12,000 challenged cases during voter registration exercise being probed by EC

    The Electoral Commission (EC) has launched inquiries into approximately 12,000 challenge cases logged during the recently concluded limited voter registration drive.

    Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, stated that the committee’s task is to determine the eligibility of these individuals for inclusion on the electoral roll.

    As per the provisional figures provided by Dr. Quaicoe, the Commission has surpassed its goal of registering 623,000 first-time voters, reaching a total of 747,715 by the end of the 22nd day.

    In an interview on JoyNews, Dr. Quaicoe mentioned, “Our target was 623,000, so we’ve surpassed that by approximately 100,000.”

    When asked about the Commission’s reaction to exceeding its target, he emphasized that the focus is on the quality of the registrations rather than just meeting numbers.

    He further explained, “Political parties are raising concerns about the registration of minors and foreigners, indicating that there’s a need to clean up the register.”

    Regarding the challenge cases, Dr. Quaicoe noted, “We currently have around 12,000 cases… they were challenged during registration due to doubts about their age, citizenship, or residency in claimed districts.”

    He added, “The adjudication process has begun, and we anticipate completion by next week. Interestingly, the political parties themselves, being part of the process, have the authority to vote on disqualifications.”

    Meanwhile, the EC has garnered support from political parties to propose legislation in Parliament, establishing the Ghana Card as the sole document for verifying citizenship during voter registration.

    This move aims to address issues like underage registration and foreign nationals attempting to register, a stance notably favored by the NPP.

  • EC is in a good relationship with NDC – Dr. Serebour Quaicoe

    EC is in a good relationship with NDC – Dr. Serebour Quaicoe

    The Electoral Commission’s Director of Electoral Services (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, emphasized that the Commission maintains a positive relationship with the National Democratic Congress (NDC), highlighting the party’s role as a significant stakeholder in Ghana’s electoral process.

    During an interview on JoyNews Pulse, Dr. Quaicoe clarified that the NDC’s concerns about electoral processes are welcomed and addressed by the EC.

    He explained that after clarification, the NDC moves forward without harboring grudges.

    Dr. Quaicoe underscored the commonality of such exchanges between political parties and the EC, noting that these discussions are not personal attacks.

    He emphasized that both entities are not adversaries, as they often share backgrounds and maintain civil interactions.

    The recent friction between the NDC and the EC stemmed from allegations regarding missing Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) equipment.

    Initially denied by the EC, the issue was later acknowledged, though the EC assured that this incident would not impact the upcoming elections.

  • No political party can hinder our operations – EC

    No political party can hinder our operations – EC

    The Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, has refuted claims that any political party is hindering the EC’s efforts leading up to the 2024 general elections.

    In an interview on Yen Nsempa, Onua FM, May 16, Dr. Quaicoe emphasized the Commission’s extensive experience and resilience in managing electoral processes.

    “No party is frustrating us. We have been doing this work for a long time,” Dr. Quaicoe asserted.

    He underscored the Commission’s independence and commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process despite external pressures.

    Dr. Quaicoe explained the frequent press conferences held by the EC before the elections as efforts to educate Ghanaians, rather than a response to threats or frustration.

    He clarified that previously, Ghanaians criticized the EC for not addressing political concerns as frequently as desired, leading to the strategy of hosting more conferences to educate the public about the electoral process.

    “We are trying to educate Ghanaians. We owe it as a responsibility to educate Ghanaians. We will tell our side of the story, and Ghanaians will take their decisions,” he stated.

    The Director further clarified his approach to voting, mentioning that he votes by proxy and does not align with any specific political party.

    “I belong to all the political parties, and I vote for any of them based on my choice, but I do not vote personally. I always give proxy to someone else to vote on my behalf,” he disclosed. This, he believes, is a reflection of a growing trend among Ghanaians who prioritize the country’s development over partisan loyalty.

    Dr. Quaicoe urged the public to discard the notion that voters strictly adhere to party lines. He noted that many now vote based on candidates’ potential contributions to national development, rather than their party affiliation.

    “We should not make it as if people vote along party lines. That is not necessarily true. It only sometimes works like that. Some persons vote for a presidential candidate belonging to a particular party, and when it comes to a parliamentary candidate, they vote for another party. Some people are not stuck to a particular party,” he explained.

    As the 2024 elections draw near, he assured that the Commission remains committed to its mandate of facilitating credible and peaceful elections in Ghana.

  • Keep an eye on IMANI before they become talk tanks instead of think tanks – Dr. Serebour Quaicoe

    Keep an eye on IMANI before they become talk tanks instead of think tanks – Dr. Serebour Quaicoe

    Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, has criticised policy think tank IMANI Africa for its approach to addressing issues concerning state institutions.

    He argued that their tendency to criticise state institutions without providing substantiated information, which ultimately undermines these entities, is a concerning trend that impedes state development.

    Dr. Quaicoe dismissed IMANI Africa’s allegations that the EC auctioned off 10 out of 70,000 devices, labelling such claims as unfounded and advising the public to disregard them.

    Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews, Dr. Quaicoe cautioned that if IMANI does not exercise caution in its statements, it risks losing its credibility and transitioning into a mere “talk tank” rather than a think tank.

    During the interview, Samson Lardy Anyenini inquired, “IMANI asked the question that you had said that you auctioned only 10 out of over 70,000 devices. Why 10? They also said they had been relying on documents from parliament because you deal with them.”

    Responding to the allegations, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe challenged, “I want to know which document said we had auctioned 10 devices. We should be careful not to destroy institutions in the country without just cause.

    “If you rely on the information on the internet to draw conclusions at the end of the day, you will be exposed… My concern is that I know IMANI to be a think tank. If care is not taken, they will become a talk tank.”

    The Electoral Commission (EC) has come under scrutiny following reports alleging that some of its electoral devices were sold through auction.

  • Current Internet challenges will not affect the 2024 elections- EC

    Current Internet challenges will not affect the 2024 elections- EC

    The Director of Electoral Services at Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, has reassured the public that the 2024 general election will not be affected by recent internet disruptions.

    Dr. Quaicoe clarified that both presidential and parliamentary election results are declared manually, eliminating dependency on internet services.

    Addressing concerns raised by some Ghanaians regarding potential internet disruptions on election day, Dr. Quaicoe explained that the Biometric Verification Devices used in the electoral process operate offline using SD cards, ensuring the integrity of the election results.

    “Our results declaration process is basically manual.

    The Biometric Verification Devices use SD cards with the data on them and they don’t use Internet so there is no way the 2024 elections will be affected if there are issues with Internet connectivity as being experienced now,” Dr Quaicoe told the Daily Graphic.

    Dr. Quaicoe emphasised, highlighting the manual counting and collation processes followed by the EC officials.

    He further elaborated that the collation of results is conducted using computers without internet connectivity, guaranteeing the elections’ smooth operation regardless of internet disruptions.


    “So, the election day has nothing to do with Internet connectivity.

    “The officers will physically send the results to the collation centres, and the results will be collated manually on the access sheet, which has no Internet connectivity.

    The region will also do the collation just using the computer without Internet connectivity.”

    Despite nationwide internet disruptions affecting various sectors recently, including banking, academics, and transportation services, Dr. Quaicoe urged the public not to panic, assuring them that the electoral process remains unaffected.

    The National Communications Authority (NCA) also acknowledged the impact of the disruptions and pledged to work diligently with stakeholders to restore full connectivity.

    Efforts are underway to assess and repair the damage to ensure improved data services in the coming days, ensuring minimal disruptions ahead of the 2024 general election.

  • EC is yet to receive NDC’s voters’ register – Dr. Serebour Quaicoe

    EC is yet to receive NDC’s voters’ register – Dr. Serebour Quaicoe

    Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, has said that the Commission is yet to receive the National Democratic Congress’ presidential and parliamentary primaries voters database.

    According to him, “The agreement was that we should have the registers and the ballot papers at least a week to the elections,” however, the NDC’s executives have failed to do so.

    Currently, the scheduled date for the presidential and parliamentary primaries is at risk of being rescheduled following an injunction filed by an NDC presidential aspirant, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, who insists that the voters’ register submitted to his team contains discrepancies.

    Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe noted that till the NDC’s injunction is lifted by the court, the EC will withdraw from offering its services to the party.

    He said it was to avoid such situations that the EC had urged the party to submit its voters’ register early for all challenges to be addressed timeously.

    “So these things should have been made available a long time ago, because we knew that when such things are done you have people petitioning and the rest so we were thinking that if we had gotten it early enough, they would have addressed any challenges that may come out of it.

    “There have been instances where we’ll go for the election and at the venue of the election the register will be brought to you and you may have to be making calls so that whilst you’re doing the election new names will be added and subtracted.

    “So these things should be a lesson to the political parties that when they’re going to do anything they should [inaudible] ahead of time so that we will not be having challenges in registers…” he said.

    The injunction case will be heard on Friday, a day to the scheduled May 13 election day.

    Meanwhile, the NDC in a press statement has urged its party faithful and aspirants to keep calm as the party’s legal team handles the situation.

  • New EC CI: You’re not wiser than parliament – Dafeamekpor fires Dr Serebour 

    New EC CI: You’re not wiser than parliament – Dafeamekpor fires Dr Serebour 

    The Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has descended heavily on the Director of Electoral Services of the Electoral Commission (E.C.), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, for comments he made regarding the proposed Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) for the 2024 general elections.

    Governs Agbodza’s angst comes after Dr. Quaicoe described the Parliament’s resolutions as mere expressions of opinion.

    The E.C. presented a new C.I to Parliament, seeking to scrap the guarantor system, limit registration to district offices, and the proof of nationality to only the Ghana Card.

    However, when Parliament made recommendations, Dr. Quaicoe termed them opinions.

    But according to the Minority Chief Whip, the Electoral Commission cannot liken resolutions of a Parliamentary committee to a mere opinion that can be discarded.

    In Agbodza’s view, Dr. Quaicoe is not more intelligent than the entire Parliament of Ghana.

    Agbodza emphasized that Parliament is at liberty to make changes to any Bill brought before it for consideration.

    He, therefore, stated in a Facebook post that “true sovereignty resides in the people of Ghana, whose interests Parliament represents. Parliament is not a mere conveyor belt of proposed bills.

    “Parliament can make fundamental changes to any Bill brought before the House.”

    “Dr. Serebour cannot pretend to be wiser than the entire Parliament of Ghana,” the Member of Parliament added.

    He warned sternly that no one would allow Dr. Quaicoe “to derail the democratic gains made over the years.”

    He concluded that appropriate steps would be taken on the matter when Parliament reconvenes.

  • No cause for panic, no one can tamper with elections results – EC vows

    No cause for panic, no one can tamper with elections results – EC vows

    The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has responded to critics who claim that Dr. Peter Appiahene’s appointment is intended to sway the results of the 2024 elections.

    Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the director of electoral services at the EC, insisted that the commission’s independence would not be compromised despite denying ever meeting Dr. Appiahene.

    “I don’t know him and I have never met him before. I also don’t know if he is an NPP activist or not. Besides, the videos you are showing could be photoshopped so Ghanaians must hasten slowly in their conclusions,” he said.

    Civil Society Organizations and some political parties have raised concerns over the appointments of Dr. Appiahene which they believe could further undermine the credibility of the commission and deepen the mistrust some Ghanaians have about it.

    But, Dr. Quaicoe asked Ghanaians not to worry, arguing that as a commissioner, Dr. Appiahhene, will not be able to influence the outcome of any results.

    “Assuming he (Dr. Peter Appiahene) is a TESCON patron, he can do nothing to change the electoral results. So, we should dismiss the fear that he can manipulate electoral results,” he told the Morning Show host of Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV, Kwesi Parker-Wilson.

    Dr Quaicoe further observed that the president has the prerogative to appoint any Ghana to serve as an EC commissioner and members of the commission cannot challenge the president’s decision.

    “How can a son question a father’s decision to marry another woman,” he quizzed.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on March 20, 2023, swore in three new members of the Electoral Commission (EC) governing board.

    They included Rev. Akua Ofori Boateng Salima, Ahmed Tijani, and Dr. Peter Appiahene.

    Their appointment is in line with Article 43 (1 and 2) of the 1992 constitution which states that “there shall be an Electoral Commission which shall consist of a Chairman, two Deputy Chairmen, and four other members”.

  • Ghana Card for Voter Registration: Speaker has not summoned us to brief him on new CI – EC

    The Electoral Commission of Ghana has said that it has no knowledge of a directive from the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, asking the Commission and officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) to appear before him with a briefing over the new Constitutional Instrument seeking to make the Ghana Card the sole document for the registration of voters ID.

    According to the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the commission does not operate with hearsay.

    He added that if indeed the Speaker has issues with the process, he must officially write to the Commission.

    Dr. Serebour’s comment comes on the back of a warning from the Alban Bagbin, asking the EC to forget laying the new C.I in parliament if they fail to meet the leadership of the House.

    But in the view of the EC, they cannot honour the Speaker’s request when they haven’t been officially invited.

    “We’ve not heard anything from the speaker. Officially they have to write to us if they have issues with our C.I. We have no letter from parliament and we don’t work with hearsay. We’ve already met the subsidiary committee and the budget committee but nobody has invited us to come because we can only go to parliament when we have been invited. It’s like going to somebody’s house without invitation,” Dr. Serebuor said in an interview with the host of Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV’s morning show, Kwesi Parker-Wilson.

    Dr. Serebour further explained that the move by the EC to make the Ghana Card the sole document for the registration of voters ID remains unchanged.

    He added that NIA officials have so far captured about 17 million Ghanaians into its system.

    “We met the NIA officials about 2 weeks ago and per the statistics, they have covered more than 17 million Ghanaians. The backlog now is about 400,000 that is persons who are yet to receive their cards after being registered. I can tell you that some of the district officers are empty now because the NIA officials have registered everyone in the district.”

    “People are no more complaining about the issuance of the card and we have two more years to go so we are still standing by our earlier position,” he added.

     

  • EC shows plan ‘B’ in case new voters registration fails – Dr. Serebour Quaicoe

    The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has scheduled 30th June, 2020 to commence the New Voters Registration which has generated much controversies and debate over the past few months.

    The challenges being faced by he commission have been compounded by the devastation of COVID-19 in the country and the world at large.

    However, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe has hinted of a plan “B” from his outfit in case their resolve to compile a new voters register is halted by the  the Coronavirus pandemic.

    Speaking to Emefa Apawu, the host of “Beyond the Lockdown” on Joy News channel in the evening of Sunday June 14, 2020, Dr. Quaicoe hinted that “if we cannot do the mass registration, then the plan B will be to validate the current register and also go for new limited registration, and in each case still there will be human contact.”

    This plan B has been the suggestion of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), some non-governmental organization, civil society organizations and policy think tanks, to conduct a limited registration due to the huge numbers of citizens whose life will be at risk if a mass new registration is conducted in this COVID-19 era.

      

    Mrs. Jean Mensa, EC Boss

    However, according to the EC’s top executive, the plan B itself does not without a risk as the main election will still involve all the masses, by arguing that “the plan B will not remove the possibility of human contact. So these are the only way we can use the old register, but it will even come back to square one where we have to go to the polling station.

    The election is expected to take place in December this year but with few months to the election, and the EC having to deal with two court cases already, amidst several red alerts and threats from ‘freedom fighters’ who feel their right to franchise is under threat, and a deadly pandemic to deal with, the EC must surely throw caution to the wind in carrying out this registration exercise.

    Source: DennisOptymyst