Over 200 health workers including 99 medical doctors have petitioned the Chair of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) to halt the ongoing mass voter registration exercise.
This according to them, is to prevent Ghana from suffering potentially thousands of deaths from coronavirus.
The petition to Jean Adukwei Mensa is the second by these health workers.
In the first letter which was dated Wednesday, June 24, the health workers cautioned the EC on its intention to conduct the exercise as they claimed it would lead to increased cases of Covid-19 and related deaths.
“The response from officialdom was that all public health protocols and precautions against Covid-19 will be adhered to.
Â
“Unfortunately, ongoing events across the country have confirmed our worst fears,†they said.
Public Law fellow at CDD-Ghana Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare has also asked Ghanaians to put the blame of any spread in Covid-19 at the various voters' registration centres at the doorstep of the EC.
READ ALSO : Prez. Akufo-Addo self-isolates after Covid-19 exposure
According to him, the EC before the commencement of the registration exercise promised that the safety protocols will be adhered to strictly but occurrences now show otherwise.
The registration exercise which began on June 30 has been coupled with non-adherence to the safety protocols.
The EC in a letter urged the public to adhere to the protocols but Prof Kwaku Asare thinks the blame for such noncompliance should be on the EC.
He explained that the EC gave an assurance to protect people after it invited them to registers so the issues of responsibility for the actions should not be to the individual but the EC.
"The point is the EC has assured us it will be able to do this safely and so we should hold them to that and demand that they do it safely and frankly the way I see it if there is any evidence that something has gone wrong they should be held responsible."