A senior lecturer at the University of Ghana’s (UG) Political Science Department, Dr Isaac Owusu Mensah, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile the new electoral roll irrespective of the cost.

This follows a research by the University’s Political Science Department on whether Ghanaians support the new Voters Register or otherwise, which revealed 64.9 per cent of respondents responding in the affirmative.

Dr Mensah said it was the EC’s responsibility to ensure a free and fair election is organised and should go on with the exercise.

He stressed on Adom FM’s current affairs show, Burning Issues on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, that, the implications a war from the elections would cost the nation would be more than the amount to be spent in compiling a new register.

Dr Mensah underscored the fact that, many wars in other nations resulted from electoral infractions and the EC should do what would ensure a credible election without skirmishes even if it will cost 10 billion cedis.

The EC’s proposal to compile a new register has generated series of arguments within the various political parties and other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other political parties have vehemently kicked against the register whilst the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) supports the idea.

The opposing political parties that identify themselves as the Inter-Party Resistance Against the New Register have organised three mammoth demonstrations to compel the EC to rescind its decision.

A coalition of CSOs has also given reasons the EC should not compile a new register after a meeting with the election management body.

Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Peter Boamah Otokunor earlier indicated on the show that, the Political Science Department of the UG is disgracing the school for conducting biased surveys.

He accused the research department of being a right wing group with members being NPP and always putting together surveys skewed in favour of the elephant party.

He said Dr Bossman Asare of the EC was the head of the right wing research group and got appointed by the NPP government so the remaining lecturers have to show some loyalty to their former boss which informed their biases on the new Voters Register. He told host, Akua Boakyewaa Yiadom in Twi.

The right wing allegations levelled against the research unit of the department was, however, debunked by Dr Mensah.

He explained that the new register survey was conducted by the entire department when the performance of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies was organised and not the department’s research unit as claimed by Mr Boamah.