Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensah, has insisted that the current draft Constitutional Instrument (CI) with its provisions – including the use of the Ghana Card as the sole source of voter identification – is relevant to Ghana’s electoral process.
In his presentation of the draft CI status to Parliament on Tuesday, February 28, the President maintained that he wanted the proposal to encourage continuous registration of new voters and purge the electoral system of ineligible persons.
“CI seeks to promote continuous voter registration before Parliament and advocates for year-round registration of eligible voters at district offices of the EC. This is a clear departure from the previous system where voter registration was done for a limited period.
“As its name suggests, under the limited voter registration exercise, registration of new voters is done for a limited period only. It wasn’t all year round. Accordingly, persons who turn 18 years of age after the registration period and persons who have not previously registered to vote cannot do so when the time limit for registration is usually 3-4 weeks.
“Another significant feature of this draft constitutional instrument is the proposal to adopt the Ghana Card as the sole source of identification for any person seeking to register as a voter. This indicates that the guarantor system that has hitherto allowed registered voters to confirm the citizenship and age of prospective applicants will no longer be relied upon as part of this new constitutional instrument,” said Ms Mensah. .
However, a minority in Parliament rejected the EC’s justifications for a new CI that wanted to make the Ghana Card the sole identity for voter registration – saying it would be prudent to use the guarantor system.
Subordinate Legislation Committee Chairman Dr. Dominic Aine argued that a new CI was not necessary as the existing CI used for the 2020 registration was still valid.
Bolgatanga Central MP Isaac Adongo asked the EC to wait for the National Identity Authority (NIA) to issue cards to every eligible Ghanaian before tabling the idea of a new CI.
Addressing the media, minority leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson noted that making the Ghana Card the sole document of identity is unacceptable; Adding this position tends to disenfranchise potential voters.
“Apparently, the proposed CI, which makes the Ghana Card the sole requirement for voter registration, acts as a restriction on the right of citizens to register and exercise their franchise in elections.
“The National Identity Authority (NIA), which is responsible for issuing the Ghana Card, has admitted that there are millions of Ghanaians yet to be issued the Ghana Card. It is also a fact that the registration process for the Ghana Card is characterized by several difficulties including logistical constraints.
“The National Identity Authority has acknowledged that the issuance of the Ghana Card is an ongoing process and therefore cannot be completed anytime soon. Therefore, making the Ghana Card the sole requirement for voter registration is unacceptable as it will deny millions of Ghanaians the right to register and vote,” the Minority Leader said.
Warranty system
The guarantor system, in the past, allowed individuals to vouch for citizens and register to vote.
According to the EC chair, the system, promoted by a minority, is problematic – as it allows people who are guaranteed to be ineligible voters to register for voter registration.
He noted that in the past, they were forced to use the EC system because there was no national identity document like that Ghana card.
“Over the years, the guarantor system has presented us with several challenges. Unfortunately, we could not reject it long ago due to the absence of a National Identity Document like the one issued by NIA. The challenges in the guarantor system are twofold: it opens the door for registered voters or guarantor contractors to vouch for and attest to persons under the age of 18. Secondly, it allows guarantors to give assurances to non-citizens. Such ineligible persons use the guarantor system door to try to gain access to the register.
“To be honest, the guarantor system was not good in any case; But we are left with no choice as a significant number of individuals do not have a Ghana Card at the time of registration in 2020.
Ms Mensah pointed out that it would cost the EC to eliminate the registration of minors and foreigners in 2020 by setting up District Registration Review Committees (DRRCS) which worked for several days and weeks in all districts to weed out the names of 40,000 minors and foreigners. Registration.
“Using the Ghana Card as the sole means of identification prevents foreigners and minors from registering as our voters. More specifically, it prevents unqualified individuals from influencing our elections and dictating who should rule our country. It is a matter of sovereignty of our nation. We do not believe that by enforcing the policy requirement of using the Ghana Card to prove one’s eligibility, we are disenfranchising individuals,” he said.
The Ghana Card will not be used to vote in 2024
Meanwhile, the EC Chair clarified that the Ghana Card is only a means of identification and not a card used to vote in the upcoming elections next year.
“I want to emphasize that in 2024 the Ghana Card will not be used to vote. The Ghana Card is only required to register as a voter. Once you present your Ghana Card and successfully register as a voter, you will receive a voter ID card with your area, district, polling station and polling station code. will be issued. The Ghana Card does not have these features. It cannot be used to vote in the 2024 general elections,” he said.
Ghana Card holders
According to the EC Chair, about 17 million Ghanaians have registered for the Ghana Card, with 16 million Ghanaians currently holding the card.
“On the strength of these numbers, after the last registration exercise in 2020, we are convinced that the 1.5 million applicants we expect to register by the end of 2023 are likely to already have a Ghana Card,” added the EC chair – encouraging those who do not have the card to begin the process of acquiring it to enable them to register as voters.
Additionally, Ms. Mensah encouraged individuals who are 18 years old and interested in voting in the country’s elections in 2023 or 2024 to visit the nearest NIA registration center and register for Ghana, since the card is acquired at the age of 15. card to enable them to register as voters when they become eligible.
He called on the NIA to speed up the printing of Ghana cards to make it easier for anyone interested to register with the EC.
NIA preparedness
The Executive Director of the NIA, Professor Kenneth Attafua, in his presentation to Parliament reiterated his readiness to print more Ghana cards.
His position however came with conditions, forcing the finance ministry to fulfill its mandate of providing sufficient funds to facilitate the work of the NIA.
“NIA has the technical and operational capacity to print and distribute the cards. We are ready to place this important order.
“However, the achievement of this goal depends on the fulfillment of several conditions precedent.”
Regarding the integration of NIA’s database with EC, Prof. Attafuah said using the Ghana Card in the voting process would, among other benefits, help eliminate the cost of periodic voter registration collections; eliminate concerns of voter fraud; Elimination of Duplication of Voter ID Cards; And clean the register of deceased persons.
Source: B&FT
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