Ghanatodayonline.com News, Politics, Health, Education & More
The Electoral Commission (EC) has repeatedly pushed for the adoption of the National Identification Card to be the only document required for voter registration and the procurement of a voter’s ID card, while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that it opposes this.
The NDC claims that it is unconstitutional to do away with passports and the guarantor system.
At a news conference on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the national chairman of the NDC, emphasized that if the EC’s plan is carried out, many Ghanaians will be denied the opportunity to vote.
“What it means is that, if the C.I. is passed in its current form, it will not only be unconstitutional, it will radically disenfranchise all those prospective voters who for no fault of theirs are unable to obtain the national ID card issued by the NIA. They would have been denied the right provided for them under Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution.”
The party pointed out that the proposed new Constitutional Instrument (CI), which would make the Ghana card the only form of identification accepted for voter ID card registration, would not bode well for Ghana’s electoral system.
Because of this, we thought it odd that the Electoral Commission would conduct a news conference and ask the NIA to move forward with registration.
Obviously, to say otherwise would be to put words in the EC’s mouth.
Therefore, making the Ghana Card the only condition for voter registration will help to revoke the right to vote for millions of Ghanaians.
The NDC contends that since many Ghanaians lack the card, the measure will essentially disenfranchise thousands.
The yet-to-be-introduced regulation, according to Mr. Ofosu Ampofo, violates the nation’s constitution.
“We want to remind the Electoral Commission that its decisions and inactions have a significant impact on the nation’s peace and security.
The NDC’s conviction that the Electoral Commission and the New Patriotic Party colluded to rig the 2024 elections is strengthened by the Electoral Commission’s actions.”
Mr. Ofosu Ampofo continued by saying that the NDC would employ all tools at its disposal to thwart any attempts by the EC and NPP administration to rig the 2024 elections.
“Given the high stakes of the elections in 2024 and as a party with a legitimate interest in the elections, we simply refuse to allow any manipulations before, during, or after those elections, and we will demand the strictest standards in the processes leading up to the elections,” Mr Ampofo continued.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
