Voters Register: EC Boss Behaving Like A 'COVID-19 Patient' - Deputy Minority Whip

Fisrt Deputy Minority Whip and MP for Banda constituency, Ahmed Ibrahim say he still could not fathom out the reason behind the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Madam Jean Mensa's decison to compile a new voters’ register after various groups and some political parties have kicked against the registration exercise.
 
According to him, all efforts by parliament to bring before them, Jean Mensa to answer some questions and explain her reasons for the compilation further have been unsuccessful.
 
“How do we solve this problem surrounding the compilation of the new voters' register if she doesn’t want to appear before us?” he questioned in an interview on NEAT FM’s morning show ‘Ghana Montie’.

Meanwhile, the EC boss has met the Special Budget Committee of Parliament Tuesday morning, to brief the Committee about its preparation towards the December 7 election.
 
Coronavirus patient
 
“She [EC boss] is behaving like a COVID-19 patient who has been quarantined in her home and doesn’t want to see the doctor. Come and let’s discuss issues and she is refusing,” Ahmed Ibrahim added.

Minority worried about EC's decision to phase out registration exercise

The Minority caucus in Parliament has expressed worry and disappointment about the decision by the Electoral Commission to phase out registration exercise in 6,300 centres out of the total of 33,367 registration centres across the country.

Minority Leader, Hon Haruna Iddrisu spoke to Journalists at Parliament House about the issue just after the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Mensa met the Special Budget Committee of Parliament Tuesday morning, to brief the Committee about its preparation towards the December 7 election.

Haruna Iddrisu said phasing out the registration exercise in 6,300 registration centres will breach article 42 of the Constitution which guarantees the legitimate right of citizens.
 

EC sued again for excluding old voter ID cards from registration

The EC has been sued by a private Ghanaian citizen Mark Takyi-Banson, for excluding the current voter ID card from the upcoming registration exercise.
 
Parliament recently passed the Public Election (Amendment) Regulation, 2020 (C.I. 126) to amend CI91 making the passport and Ghana card as the only breeder documents that can be used to register as a voter.
 
Mr Takyi-Banson is praying the court to grant an order directing that C.I.126 violates the provisions of article 42 and 45 of the 1992 Constitution to the extent that it excludes Birth Certificates issued to Ghanaians as a mode of identification and establishing qualification to be registered in the register of voters.
 
The plaintiff is also seeking similar relief for the voter ID card as well as a declaration that the Electoral Commission’s decision to compile a new register of voters is “inconsistent with and a violation of article 45(a) of the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana.”
 
Already, the biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is challenging the EC’s exclusion of the voter card from the registration process.
 
EC setting Ghana’s democracy backwards – Imani
 
Policy think tank Imani Ghana has said the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has succeeded in “setting Ghana’s democracy back” at least by a decade.
 
The Imani Boss’ comments follow the decision of the electioneering body to use only the Ghana Card and Passport as proof of one’s nationality in order to qualify for registration as an eligible voter in the upcoming general elections.
 
The EC has announced it will commencement of the voter registration exercise across the nation, effective Tuesday, 30 June 2020 despite some public disapproval.
 
EC treading on “mass slaughtering” path – Peace Centre
 
The Africa Centre for Peace Building (Peace Centre) has said the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana will only be treading on a path of “mass slaughtering” of Ghanaians “using COVID-19 and a potential violent conflict as the tool”, if it does not put in place the necessary measures for its forthcoming voter registration process.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana