Addressing a forum in Accra organized by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Ghana,
the EC Chairperson indicated that the compilation of a new voters’ register is
motivated by the Commission’s desire to ensure a credible general election.
“A bloat in our register could have dire consequences for any election
and as a people, we should go to an election with a mindset that it has to be
credible. We should leave no room for manipulation and I believe that that is
the essence of a biometric register.”
“It is our desire that we leave no room for manipulation at the polling
stations because, under the current situation, any manipulation could have dire
consequences for our election in the sense that it could change the outcome of
an election and these are some of the reasons that informed our decision to
compile a new register.”
Various civil society organisations and the National Democratic Congress
(NDC) have criticised the EC over the intended compilation.
The EC is however bent on carrying on with the move regardless of the
agitations.
EC
faces opposition
The NDC is currently challenging the EC in court on the exclusion of the
old voters’ ID.
The EC presented the Public Election (Amendment) Regulation, 2020 (C.I.
126) to Parliament to amend C.I. 91 in order to change the current
identification requirements.
On June 9, Parliament subsequently voted to
allow the EC to use the Ghana Card and Passports as the
only forms of identification for persons registering to vote after relevant
Constitutional Instrument had matured.
The party fears this amendment will lead to many Ghanaians being
disenfranchised.
The opposition party’s case will be settled on June 23 ahead of the
compilation of the register on June 30.
EC’s
justification
The EC submitted its legal justification for the amendment and described
the old voter ID as “fruit from a poisoned tree” and a breach of Article 42 of
the constitution, which defines who is qualified to register to vote.
The EC cited the court’s judgement in the Abu Ramadan case, where it
indicated that the use of the National Health Insurance Card to register a
voter is inconsistent with Article 42 of the constitution and therefore void.
In line with the
judgement in the Abu Ramadan case,
over 56,000 names registered with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)
cards were deleted.
Source: citinewsroom.com
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