The new Constitutional Instrument (CI) intended to make the Ghana Card the only document eligible for registration as a voter has been defended by Jean Mensa, chair of the Electoral Commission.
She claimed that if Parliament approves the CI, Ghana’s problem with minors and foreign voters will be cured.
READ ALSO: NDC MPs Drag Jean Mensa To Privileges Committee
The head of the EC also stated during his speech in front of the legislature that the new CI will promote year-round voter registration.
“Under the limited voters’ registration process, registration was conducted at limited periods and was not done all year round. This made it such that, persons who turned 18 after the registration period could not do so after the time set for the limited registration, which usually within 2–3 weeks.”
“Under the new C.I., anyone who turns 18 can simply walk into any of our district offices and register to vote. This is a departure from the previous one. The main advantage of this is that potential voters can register anytime any day. Eligible persons will be at liberty to do it at their leisure because it will be an all-year-round activity.”
She added that this would ease the typical stress at registration centers,“thereby reducing the likelihood of conflicts whatsoever.”
“It will prevent minors and foreigners from voting and will take away the guarantor system,” she added.
READ ALSO: How Do You Expect The 3.5m Ghanaians Without Ghana Card To Vote? – Haruna Iddrisu Asks EC
The Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2021, a draft constitutional provision, have generated controversy, particularly the provision that sought to make the Ghana Card the only form of identification for eligible voters who wanted to get on the national register.
The Minority has been criticizing the suggested CI.
They turned down EC and National Identification (NIA) representatives who had come to Parliament to brief the House on the proposed CI on Thursday, February 23.
